City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 4.3% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $104,300 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,316 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.8% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Lancaster, PA ($121,785 → $108,592), while prices change by +4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.5% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,339 in Lancaster | $95,842 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,316/yr.
56 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,316/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Hagerstown → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $62,972 | −14.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $76,190 | −14.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $91,320 | −14.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $108,592 | −14.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $128,323 | −14.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $78,360 | $75,101 (+18.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $104,740 | $100,384 (−18.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $76,110 | $72,945 (−3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $89,620 | $85,893 (−7.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.