City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 3.8% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $103,800 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 $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- Both are in PA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $3,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.3% moving from Lancaster, PA to Pittsburgh, PA ($108,592 → $110,047), while prices change by −3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.2% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,350 in Pittsburgh | $103,788 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
81 Strong offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Lancaster → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $63,815 | +5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $77,211 | +5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $92,543 | +5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $110,047 | +5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $130,042 | +5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $76,550 | $79,450 (+1.4%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $124,500 | $129,216 (+23.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $76,940 | $79,854 (+4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $82,370 | $85,490 (−4.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.