City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 14.6% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $114,600 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,790 a year higher in New York, NY than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.5% moving from Lancaster, PA to New York, NY ($108,592 → $125,431), while prices change by +14.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,560 in New York | $87,291 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.7%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$1,790/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,790/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | New York, NY | Real change, Lancaster → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $72,737 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $88,005 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $105,481 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $125,431 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $148,222 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | New York, NY | New York pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $96,900 | $84,585 (+7.9%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $166,830 | $145,627 (+39.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $105,650 | $92,223 (+21.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $119,720 | $104,504 (+16.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.