City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Memphis, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 6.6% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $106,600 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $1,154 in Memphis, TN. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 17% in Memphis, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Memphis, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Memphis, TN ($108,592 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.5% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Memphis, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,814 in Memphis | $106,594 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,154/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $46,890 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Memphis, TN-MS-AR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 74.1 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 95.4 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
89 Strong offer
Memphis, TN → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Memphis, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Memphis, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Memphis, TN | Real change, Lancaster → Memphis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,722 | +4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,678 | +4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,508 | +4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,437 | +4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $125,776 | +4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Memphis, TN | Memphis pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $61,510 | $65,566 (−16.3%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $125,580 | $133,860 (+27.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $76,960 | $82,035 (+7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $81,500 | $86,874 (−3.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.