City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Ann Arbor, MI are 5.1% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $105,100 in Ann Arbor, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,387 a month in Ann Arbor, MI versus $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Ann Arbor, MI and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $929 a year higher in Ann Arbor, MI than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.7% moving from Ann Arbor, MI to York, PA ($117,402 → $121,785), while prices change by −4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.0% in real buying power.
- Ann Arbor, MI: price level 100.9 (about average)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Ann Arbor, MI | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,163 in York | $105,083 in Ann Arbor |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,387/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,380 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Ann Arbor, MI MSA and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Ann Arbor, MI and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ann Arbor | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.3 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 98.2 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ann Arbor, MI → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$929/yr.
85 Strong offer
York, PA → Ann Arbor, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$929/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ann Arbor, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Ann Arbor, MI to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ann Arbor, MI | York, PA | Real change, Ann Arbor → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $70,623 | +9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $85,447 | +9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $102,415 | +9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $121,785 | +9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $143,913 | +9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ann Arbor, MI | York, PA | York pay in Ann Arbor dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,060 | $79,730 | $83,783 (+30.8%) |
| Software Developers | $126,830 | $114,600 | $120,426 (−5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $75,160 | $78,981 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,450 | $96,210 | $101,101 (−2.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.