City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 5.4% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $105,400 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,735 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.7% moving from Chicago, IL to Lancaster, PA ($118,984 → $108,592), while prices change by −5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.8% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (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
| Chicago, IL | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,847 in Lancaster | $105,433 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,735/yr.
86 Strong offer
Lancaster, PA → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$1,735/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Chicago → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $62,972 | −3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $76,190 | −3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $91,320 | −3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $108,592 | −3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $128,323 | −3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $78,360 | $82,617 (+5.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $104,740 | $110,430 (−17.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $76,110 | $80,245 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $89,620 | $94,489 (−6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.