City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 1.4% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $101,400 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 $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $849 a year higher in Milwaukee, WI than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Lancaster, PA to Milwaukee, WI ($108,592 → $111,310), while prices change by −1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.9% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,657 in Milwaukee | $101,362 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Milwaukee, WI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$849/yr.
73 Strong offer
Milwaukee, WI → Lancaster, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$849/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Lancaster → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $64,548 | +3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $78,098 | +3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $93,606 | +3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $111,310 | +3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $131,535 | +3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $61,480 | $62,317 (−20.5%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $123,730 | $125,415 (+19.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $80,290 | $81,383 (+6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $97,360 | $98,686 (+10.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.