City comparison
Akron, OH vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 5.2% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $105,200 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.3% moving from Akron, OH to Lancaster, PA ($111,138 → $108,592), while prices change by +5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.2% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,234 in Lancaster | $95,026 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
53 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Akron → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,972 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $76,190 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $91,320 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $108,592 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $128,323 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $78,360 | $74,463 (−5.2%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $104,740 | $99,531 (−5.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $76,110 | $72,325 (−7.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $89,620 | $85,163 (+5.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.