City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 14.3% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $114,300 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Brownsville, TX to Lancaster, PA ($106,437 → $108,592), while prices change by +14.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.7% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (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
| Brownsville, TX | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,286 in Lancaster | $87,500 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
38 Weak offer
Lancaster, PA → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.3%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Brownsville → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,972 | −10.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,190 | −10.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,320 | −10.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,592 | −10.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,323 | −10.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $78,360 | $68,565 (+8.2%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $104,740 | $91,648 (−14.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $76,110 | $66,596 (+0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $89,620 | $78,418 (−3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.