City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 11.5% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $111,500 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 $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,665 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Mobile, AL ($108,592 → $106,437), while prices change by −10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.3% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,661 in Mobile | $111,531 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,665/yr.
100 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,665/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Mobile, AL | Real change, Lancaster → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,722 | +9.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,678 | +9.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,508 | +9.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,437 | +9.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $125,776 | +9.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $60,970 | $68,001 (−13.2%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $122,540 | $136,671 (+30.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $72,130 | $80,448 (+5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $79,490 | $88,656 (−1.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.