City comparison
Jackson, MS vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 10.3% higher than in Jackson, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Jackson, MS would need about $110,300 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $1,097 in Jackson, MS. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 17% in Jackson, MS.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,268 a year in MS and $3,070 in PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Jackson, MS to Lancaster, PA ($106,437 → $108,592), while prices change by +10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.5% in real buying power.
- Jackson, MS: price level 89.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Jackson, MS | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.0 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,342 in Lancaster | $90,628 in Jackson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,097/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,912 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,268 (MS) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,850 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Jackson, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Jackson, MS and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jackson | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.8 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 78.1 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 89.0 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jackson, MS → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$198/yr.
39 Weak offer
Lancaster, PA → Jackson, MS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$198/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Jackson, MS is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Jackson, MS to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jackson, MS | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Jackson → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,972 | −7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,190 | −7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,320 | −7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,592 | −7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,323 | −7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jackson, MS | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Jackson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,240 | $78,360 | $71,016 (+41.4%) |
| Software Developers | $96,990 | $104,740 | $94,923 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,720 | $76,110 | $68,977 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,630 | $89,620 | $81,220 (−1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.