City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 2.1% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $102,100 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $929 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.5% moving from Detroit, MI to Lancaster, PA ($117,402 → $108,592), while prices change by −2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- 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
| Detroit, MI | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,965 in Lancaster | $102,077 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$929/yr.
75 Strong offer
Lancaster, PA → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$929/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Detroit → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,972 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $76,190 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $91,320 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $108,592 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $128,323 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $78,360 | $79,988 (+22.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $104,740 | $106,916 (−18.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $76,110 | $77,691 (−3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $89,620 | $91,482 (−6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.