City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Boise City, ID (98.4) and Lancaster, PA (98.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Boise City, ID goes as far as $99,900 in Lancaster, PA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,122 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Boise City, ID to Lancaster, PA ($106,437 → $108,592), while prices change by −0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.2% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- 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
| Boise City, ID | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,864 in Lancaster | $100,136 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Lancaster, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,122/yr.
69 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Boise City, ID
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,122/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Boise City → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,972 | +2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,190 | +2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,320 | +2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,592 | +2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,323 | +2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $78,360 | $78,467 (+28.2%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $104,740 | $104,883 (−20.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $76,110 | $76,214 (−0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $89,620 | $89,742 (−8.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.