City comparison
Harrisburg, PA vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 15.1% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $115,100 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.3% moving from Harrisburg, PA to Los Angeles, CA ($108,592 → $124,085), while prices change by +15.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Harrisburg, PA | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,120 in Los Angeles | $86,866 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $2,085/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.1%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
24 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Harrisburg → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $71,957 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $87,061 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $104,349 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $124,085 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $146,632 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $101,860 | $88,481 (+14.7%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $160,920 | $139,784 (+27.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $94,360 | $81,967 (+7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $135,560 | $117,755 (+21.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.