City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 7.2% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $107,200 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,665 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Lancaster, PA ($107,510 → $108,592), while prices change by +7.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.8% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (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
| Birmingham, AL | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,216 in Lancaster | $93,270 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,665/yr.
48 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,665/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Birmingham → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $62,972 | −5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $76,190 | −5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $91,320 | −5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $108,592 | −5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $128,323 | −5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $78,360 | $73,086 (+16.7%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $104,740 | $97,691 (−22.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $76,110 | $70,988 (−9.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $89,620 | $83,588 (+6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.