City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Portland, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, OR are 7.3% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $107,300 in Portland, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,677 a month in Portland, OR versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Portland, OR and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,850 a year higher in Portland, OR than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.6% moving from Lancaster, PA to Portland, OR ($108,592 → $114,684), while prices change by +7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.6% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Portland, OR: price level 105.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Portland, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 105.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,291 in Portland | $93,204 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,677/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $60,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 125.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 100.1 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 105.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Portland, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$4,850/yr.
43 Weak offer
Portland, OR → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,850/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Portland, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Portland, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Portland, OR | Real change, Lancaster → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $66,505 | −1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $80,465 | −1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $96,443 | −1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $114,684 | −1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $135,522 | −1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Portland, OR | Portland pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $82,330 | $76,735 (−2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $156,000 | $145,399 (+38.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $92,200 | $85,934 (+12.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $130,310 | $121,455 (+35.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.