City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 8.3% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $108,300 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,012 a month in Lansing, MI and $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $736 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.4% moving from Lansing, MI to Tuscaloosa, AL ($117,402 → $107,510), while prices change by −7.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.8% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,348 in Tuscaloosa | $108,286 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$736/yr.
95 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$736/yr.
45 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Lansing → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,344 | −0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,431 | −0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $90,410 | −0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $107,510 | −0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $127,044 | −0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $60,220 | $65,210 (−10.6%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $104,870 | $113,560 (+16.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $71,690 | $77,631 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $75,250 | $81,486 (−3.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.