City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 12.7% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $112,700 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $456 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Lafayette, LA to Lancaster, PA ($106,437 → $108,592), while prices change by +12.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.4% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (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
| Lafayette, LA | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,668 in Lancaster | $88,756 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$456/yr.
38 Weak offer
Lancaster, PA → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$456/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lafayette, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Lafayette → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,972 | −9.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,190 | −9.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,320 | −9.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,592 | −9.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,323 | −9.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $78,360 | $69,549 (+45.6%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $104,740 | $92,963 (−14.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $76,110 | $67,552 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $89,620 | $79,543 (−2.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.