City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 5.0% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $105,000 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $3,925 in CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.8% moving from Lansing, MI to Waterbury, CT ($117,402 → $125,431), while prices change by +5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.7% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,039 in Waterbury | $95,202 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$74/yr.
54 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$74/yr.
84 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Lansing → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $72,737 | +1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $88,005 | +1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $105,481 | +1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $125,431 | +1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $148,222 | +1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $97,540 | $126,810 | $120,726 (+23.8%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $131,290 | $124,991 (+28.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $93,010 | $88,548 (+11.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $101,690 | $96,811 (+14.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.