City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 8.3% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $108,300 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.3% moving from Lancaster, PA to Riverside, CA ($108,592 → $124,085), while prices change by +8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.5% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,330 in Riverside | $92,310 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
39 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Riverside, CA | Real change, Lancaster → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $71,957 | +5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $87,061 | +5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $104,349 | +5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $124,085 | +5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $146,632 | +5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $98,520 | $90,944 (+16.1%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $133,270 | $123,022 (+17.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $83,920 | $77,467 (+1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $133,940 | $123,641 (+38.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.