City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 6.9% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $106,900 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,497 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Augusta, GA to Lancaster, PA ($106,437 → $108,592), while prices change by +6.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.6% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much 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
| Augusta, GA | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,914 in Lancaster | $93,533 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,497/yr.
49 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,497/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Augusta → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,972 | −4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,190 | −4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,320 | −4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,592 | −4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,323 | −4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $78,360 | $73,293 (+16.3%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $104,740 | $97,967 (−18.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $76,110 | $71,188 (−7.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $89,620 | $83,825 (−4.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.