City comparison
Columbia, SC vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in York, PA are 2.5% higher than in Columbia, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbia, SC would need about $102,500 in York, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,164 a month in Columbia, SC versus $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Columbia, SC and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,773 a year higher in Columbia, SC than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.4% moving from Columbia, SC to York, PA ($106,437 → $121,785), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.6% in real buying power.
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (cheaper)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbia, SC | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.7 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,496 in York | $97,565 in Columbia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,164/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,430 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Columbia, SC and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbia | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.5 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 88.3 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.7 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbia, SC → York, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,773/yr.
61 Fair offer
York, PA → Columbia, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,773/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbia, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbia, SC to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbia, SC | York, PA | Real change, Columbia → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,623 | +11.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,447 | +11.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,415 | +11.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,785 | +11.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,913 | +11.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbia, SC | York, PA | York pay in Columbia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,050 | $79,730 | $77,788 (+29.5%) |
| Software Developers | $123,380 | $114,600 | $111,809 (−9.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $69,210 | $75,160 | $73,330 (+6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,920 | $96,210 | $93,867 (+14.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.