City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Lancaster, PA (98.3) and Provo, UT (98.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Lancaster, PA goes as far as $100,000 in Provo, UT.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA and $1,265 in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $464 a year higher in Provo, UT than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Provo, UT ($108,592 → $106,437), while prices change by −0.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,975 in Provo | $100,025 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $48,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Provo, UT
Roughly even
Buying power +0.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$464/yr.
69 Fair offer
Provo, UT → Lancaster, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$464/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Provo, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Provo, UT | Real change, Lancaster → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,722 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,678 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,508 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,437 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $125,776 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Provo, UT | Provo pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $62,930 | $62,946 (−19.7%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $131,210 | $131,243 (+25.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $75,700 | $75,719 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $81,780 | $81,801 (−8.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.