City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in York, PA are 1.9% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $101,900 in York, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,060 a month in York, PA versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in York, 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 York, PA.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $121,785 in either. A transfer from Hagerstown, MD to York, PA changes real buying power by −1.9%, purely from prices.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,942 in York | $98,095 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,060/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → York, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,316/yr.
63 Fair offer
York, PA → Hagerstown, MD
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,316/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | York, PA | Real change, Hagerstown → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $70,623 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $85,447 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $102,415 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $121,785 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $143,913 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | York, PA | York pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $79,730 | $78,211 (+23.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $114,600 | $112,417 (−8.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $75,160 | $73,728 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $96,210 | $94,377 (+1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.