City comparison
Charlotte, NC vs Harrisburg, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Harrisburg, PA are 1.3% higher than in Charlotte, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Charlotte, NC would need about $101,300 in Harrisburg, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC versus $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $411 a year higher in Charlotte, NC than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.2% moving from Charlotte, NC to Harrisburg, PA ($108,810 → $108,592), while prices change by +1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Charlotte, NC | Harrisburg, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 98.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,337 in Harrisburg | $98,680 in Charlotte |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,538/mo | $1,212/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $49,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA. Metro areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charlotte | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.6 | 96.3 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 108.1 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 98.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charlotte, NC → Harrisburg, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$411/yr.
65 Fair offer
Harrisburg, PA → Charlotte, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$411/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Charlotte, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Harrisburg, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Charlotte, NC to Harrisburg, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charlotte, NC | Harrisburg, PA | Real change, Charlotte → Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $62,972 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $76,190 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $91,320 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $108,592 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $128,323 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charlotte, NC | Harrisburg, PA | Harrisburg pay in Charlotte dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,680 | $77,160 | $76,142 (+29.8%) |
| Software Developers | $135,920 | $109,470 | $108,025 (−20.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,910 | $76,510 | $75,500 (−18.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $90,620 | $96,770 | $95,493 (+5.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.