City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Lancaster, PA (98.3) and Raleigh, NC (98.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Lancaster, PA goes as far as $99,900 in Raleigh, NC.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $411 a year higher in Raleigh, NC than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.4% moving from Lancaster, PA to Raleigh, NC ($108,592 → $111,147), while prices change by −0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Raleigh, NC: 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 | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,898 in Raleigh | $100,102 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Raleigh, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$411/yr.
69 Fair offer
Raleigh, NC → Lancaster, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$411/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Raleigh, NC | Real change, Lancaster → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $64,453 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $77,983 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $93,468 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $111,147 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $131,342 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $60,170 | $60,231 (−23.1%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $132,770 | $132,905 (+26.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $81,950 | $82,033 (+7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $84,830 | $84,916 (−5.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.