City comparison
Harrisburg, PA vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 17.2% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $117,200 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +22.5% moving from Harrisburg, PA to San Francisco, CA ($108,592 → $133,060), while prices change by +17.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.6% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Harrisburg, PA | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,195 in San Francisco | $85,328 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $2,977/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.7%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.2%; 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; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Harrisburg → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $77,161 | +4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $93,358 | +4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $111,896 | +4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $133,060 | +4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $157,236 | +4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $101,860 | $86,915 (+12.6%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $186,640 | $159,256 (+45.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $110,730 | $94,483 (+23.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $186,610 | $159,230 (+64.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.