City comparison
Boston, MA vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 10.2% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $110,200 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,710 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.9% moving from Boston, MA to Lancaster, PA ($120,548 → $108,592), while prices change by −9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much 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
| Boston, MA | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,755 in Lancaster | $110,187 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,710/yr.
100 Strong offer
Lancaster, PA → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,710/yr.
17 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Boston → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $62,972 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $76,190 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $91,320 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $108,592 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $128,323 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $78,360 | $86,342 (−11.9%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $104,740 | $115,409 (−30.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $76,110 | $83,863 (−16.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $89,620 | $98,749 (−7.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.