City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 2.0% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $102,000 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,708 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.6% moving from Lansing, MI to Tucson, AZ ($117,402 → $108,455), while prices change by +2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.4% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,005 in Tucson | $98,034 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Tucson, AZ
Roughly even
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,708/yr.
63 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,708/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Lansing → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,893 | −9.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $76,095 | −9.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $91,205 | −9.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $108,455 | −9.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $128,162 | −9.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $47,220 | $46,292 (−36.5%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $123,710 | $121,278 (+24.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $76,320 | $74,820 (−5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $94,110 | $92,260 (+9.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.