City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 2.5% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $102,500 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,790 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.4% moving from Buffalo, NY to Lancaster, PA ($111,301 → $108,592), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.8% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (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
| Buffalo, NY | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,518 in Lancaster | $97,544 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,790/yr.
61 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,790/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Buffalo → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $62,972 | −4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $76,190 | −4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $91,320 | −4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $108,592 | −4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $128,323 | −4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $78,360 | $76,436 (−0.1%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $104,740 | $102,168 (−20.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $76,110 | $74,241 (−9.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $89,620 | $87,419 (−11.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.