City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Wilmington, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Wilmington, NC are 1.5% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $101,500 in Wilmington, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,513 a month in Wilmington, NC versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Wilmington, NC and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $518 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Wilmington, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Wilmington, NC ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.7% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Wilmington, NC: price level 96.4 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Wilmington, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 96.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,506 in Wilmington | $98,516 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,513/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $45,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Wilmington, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Wilmington, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Wilmington |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 93.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 87.9 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 96.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Wilmington, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$518/yr.
64 Fair offer
Wilmington, NC → Lansing, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$518/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Wilmington, NC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Wilmington, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Wilmington, NC | Real change, Lansing → Wilmington |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −10.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −10.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −10.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −10.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −10.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Wilmington, NC | Wilmington pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $48,240 | $47,524 (−34.8%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $123,730 | $121,894 (+25.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $77,920 | $76,764 (−3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $80,970 | $79,768 (−5.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.