Traverse City, MI vs Lansing, MI: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, Lansing, MI is 1.7% more expensive than Traverse City, MI (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Traverse City works out to about $76,300 in Lansing, before taxes.
- Most of the difference is housing, which costs 6.8% more in Lansing. Goods are 0.0% higher and other services 0.0% higher.
- Typical asking rent is $1,302 a month in Lansing and $1,853 in Traverse City, $6,612 a year less in Lansing (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $246,000 in Lansing and $419,000 in Traverse City.
- The gap is about where it was in 2019 (1.2%).
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.
Housing drives the gap: 6.8% higher in Lansing than in Traverse City
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Traverse City, MI
- Lansing, MI
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Traverse City, MI | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 93.4 | 95.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.7 |
| Housing (rents) | 78.1 | 83.5 |
| Utilities | 92.4 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.6 |
| Category | Traverse City | Lansing | Lansing vs Traverse City |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 93.4 | 95.0 | +1.7% |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.7 | 0.0% |
| Housing (rents) | 78.1 | 83.5 | +6.8% |
| Utilities | 92.4 | 95.5 | +3.4% |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.6 | 0.0% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,853 | $1,302 | −29.7% |
| Typical home value | $419,000 | $246,000 | −41.3% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Traverse City | $75,000 | $76,300 | +1.7% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Traverse City and Lansing has narrowed since 2008: 13.0 points then, 1.6 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Traverse City, MI
- Lansing, MI
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Traverse City, MI | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 85.3 | 98.3 |
| 2009 | 89.4 | 97.1 |
| 2010 | 94.2 | 97.9 |
| 2011 | 88.2 | 95.0 |
| 2012 | 91.7 | 95.7 |
| 2013 | 90.0 | 96.5 |
| 2014 | 90.1 | 96.1 |
| 2015 | 91.2 | 93.2 |
| 2016 | 89.7 | 94.7 |
| 2017 | 88.9 | 93.9 |
| 2018 | 92.7 | 94.3 |
| 2019 | 93.6 | 94.7 |
| 2020 | 90.4 | 93.8 |
| 2021 | 93.4 | 94.2 |
| 2022 | 93.3 | 94.0 |
| 2023 | 90.6 | 93.0 |
| 2024 | 93.4 | 95.0 |
Goods
- Traverse City, MI
- Lansing, MI
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Traverse City, MI | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 76.8 | 99.0 |
| 2009 | 84.7 | 97.5 |
| 2010 | 93.4 | 96.5 |
| 2011 | 94.1 | 96.0 |
| 2012 | 95.3 | 97.2 |
| 2013 | 94.7 | 97.0 |
| 2014 | 95.6 | 98.4 |
| 2015 | 96.0 | 97.7 |
| 2016 | 94.4 | 96.8 |
| 2017 | 93.7 | 94.9 |
| 2018 | 97.1 | 97.1 |
| 2019 | 95.9 | 95.9 |
| 2020 | 93.7 | 93.7 |
| 2021 | 94.4 | 94.4 |
| 2022 | 92.1 | 92.1 |
| 2023 | 94.1 | 94.1 |
| 2024 | 93.7 | 93.7 |
Housing (rents)
- Traverse City, MI
- Lansing, MI
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Traverse City, MI | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 80.8 | 92.4 |
| 2009 | 84.6 | 88.3 |
| 2010 | 93.4 | 96.1 |
| 2011 | 71.3 | 85.2 |
| 2012 | 79.8 | 86.6 |
| 2013 | 75.0 | 89.8 |
| 2014 | 74.2 | 90.3 |
| 2015 | 84.8 | 78.5 |
| 2016 | 80.5 | 86.3 |
| 2017 | 80.5 | 86.1 |
| 2018 | 78.0 | 79.7 |
| 2019 | 79.5 | 80.3 |
| 2020 | 70.8 | 81.5 |
| 2021 | 81.4 | 81.6 |
| 2022 | 83.8 | 85.6 |
| 2023 | 69.5 | 77.0 |
| 2024 | 78.1 | 83.5 |
Utilities
- Traverse City, MI
- Lansing, MI
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Traverse City, MI | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 86.4 | 95.2 |
| 2009 | 92.4 | 103.2 |
| 2010 | 100.6 | 102.7 |
| 2011 | 95.0 | 105.1 |
| 2012 | 98.0 | 105.0 |
| 2013 | 97.3 | 103.4 |
| 2014 | 92.8 | 94.4 |
| 2015 | 93.4 | 93.5 |
| 2016 | 96.6 | 92.4 |
| 2017 | 93.4 | 96.7 |
| 2018 | 97.2 | 101.4 |
| 2019 | 95.7 | 97.6 |
| 2020 | 97.9 | 101.3 |
| 2021 | 98.7 | 102.3 |
| 2022 | 92.4 | 94.4 |
| 2023 | 92.0 | 94.3 |
| 2024 | 92.4 | 95.5 |
Other services
- Traverse City, MI
- Lansing, MI
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Traverse City, MI | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 94.5 | 100.1 |
| 2009 | 95.0 | 99.7 |
| 2010 | 94.8 | 99.1 |
| 2011 | 92.5 | 96.9 |
| 2012 | 94.7 | 97.1 |
| 2013 | 93.5 | 97.9 |
| 2014 | 94.1 | 96.6 |
| 2015 | 91.1 | 95.0 |
| 2016 | 90.4 | 96.3 |
| 2017 | 89.7 | 95.3 |
| 2018 | 96.5 | 96.5 |
| 2019 | 98.6 | 98.6 |
| 2020 | 97.8 | 97.8 |
| 2021 | 97.9 | 97.9 |
| 2022 | 98.2 | 98.2 |
| 2023 | 97.7 | 97.7 |
| 2024 | 99.6 | 99.6 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,302 in Lansing vs $1,853 in Traverse City
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Traverse City, MI
- Lansing, MI
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Traverse City, MI | Lansing, MI | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | – | $704 | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | – | $708 | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | – | $718 | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | – | $715 | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | – | $732 | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | – | $738 | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | – | $746 | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | – | $738 | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | – | $755 | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | – | $767 | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | – | $779 | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | – | $783 | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | – | $784 | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | – | $806 | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | – | $818 | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | – | $822 | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | – | $821 | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | – | $839 | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | – | $862 | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | – | $845 | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | – | $860 | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | – | $879 | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | – | $901 | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | – | $901 | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | – | $922 | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | – | $948 | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | – | $983 | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | – | $990 | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | – | $1,024 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | $1,454 | $1,060 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,435 | $1,072 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,430 | $1,081 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $1,473 | $1,084 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,638 | $1,099 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,591 | $1,111 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,528 | $1,132 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,666 | $1,144 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,681 | $1,169 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,661 | $1,181 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,609 | $1,191 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,677 | $1,198 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,756 | $1,228 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,774 | $1,238 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,695 | $1,250 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,785 | $1,262 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,852 | $1,283 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,853 | $1,302 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $246,000 in Lansing vs $419,000 in Traverse City
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Traverse City, MI
- Lansing, MI
- United States
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Traverse City, MI | Lansing, MI | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $196K | $121K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $197K | $123K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $199K | $124K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $203K | $126K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $207K | $129K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $208K | $129K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $208K | $131K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $211K | $134K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $216K | $137K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $220K | $139K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $223K | $141K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $226K | $144K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $231K | $147K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $234K | $150K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $238K | $151K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $240K | $152K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $243K | $154K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $244K | $158K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $246K | $160K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $250K | $163K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $257K | $166K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $256K | $168K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $261K | $172K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $276K | $179K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $294K | $186K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $315K | $193K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $327K | $193K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $332K | $192K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $347K | $201K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $366K | $210K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $367K | $210K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $366K | $209K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $367K | $210K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $380K | $214K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $388K | $217K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $388K | $220K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $392K | $223K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $398K | $228K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $402K | $230K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $407K | $233K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $407K | $236K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $408K | $236K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $407K | $238K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $410K | $241K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $415K | $244K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $417K | $245K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $419K | $246K | $366K |
More about each city
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
- Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.