City comparison
Hartford, CT vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 4.6% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $104,600 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Hartford, CT and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in Hartford, CT than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.6% moving from Hartford, CT to Lancaster, PA ($120,094 → $108,592), while prices change by −4.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.4% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Hartford, CT | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,631 in Lancaster | $104,569 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
83 Strong offer
Lancaster, PA → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Hartford → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $62,972 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $76,190 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $91,320 | −5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $108,592 | −5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $128,323 | −5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $78,360 | $81,940 (+2.7%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $104,740 | $109,525 (−17.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $76,110 | $79,587 (−17.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $89,620 | $93,714 (−7.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.