City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 6.9% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $106,900 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $600 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Omaha, NE ($108,592 → $107,501), while prices change by −6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.8% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,541 in Omaha | $106,905 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$600/yr.
90 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$600/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Omaha, NE | Real change, Lancaster → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $62,339 | +5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $75,425 | +5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $90,402 | +5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $107,501 | +5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $127,033 | +5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $62,670 | $66,997 (−14.5%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $125,220 | $133,866 (+27.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $77,030 | $82,349 (+8.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $84,600 | $90,441 (+0.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.