City comparison
Harrisburg, PA vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Harrisburg, PA are 10.6% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $110,600 in Harrisburg, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,212 a month in Harrisburg, PA versus $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Harrisburg, PA and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $885 a year higher in Tulsa, OK than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Harrisburg, PA to Tulsa, OK ($108,592 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.4% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Harrisburg, PA | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,435 in Tulsa | $110,577 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$885/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$885/yr.
39 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Harrisburg → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,722 | +8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,678 | +8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,508 | +8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,437 | +8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $125,776 | +8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $48,220 | $53,320 (−30.9%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $108,730 | $120,230 (+9.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $81,320 | $89,921 (+17.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $84,790 | $93,758 (−3.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.