City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 10.0% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $110,000 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,497 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.5% moving from Columbus, GA to Lancaster, PA ($112,556 → $108,592), while prices change by +10.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.3% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (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
| Columbus, GA | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,035 in Lancaster | $90,880 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,497/yr.
40 Weak offer
Lancaster, PA → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,497/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Columbus → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,972 | −12.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $76,190 | −12.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $91,320 | −12.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $108,592 | −12.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $128,323 | −12.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $78,360 | $71,214 (+16.1%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $104,740 | $95,188 (−18.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $76,110 | $69,169 (−6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $89,620 | $81,447 (−1.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.