City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 6.3% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $106,300 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,316 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.8% moving from Baltimore, MD to Lancaster, PA ($121,785 → $108,592), while prices change by −6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.2% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,038 in Lancaster | $106,341 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,316/yr.
89 Strong offer
Lancaster, PA → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,316/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Baltimore → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $62,972 | −5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $76,190 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $91,320 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $108,592 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $128,323 | −5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $78,360 | $83,328 (+9.1%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $104,740 | $111,381 (−19.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $76,110 | $80,936 (−5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $89,620 | $95,302 (−4.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.