City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 1.3% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $101,300 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA and $1,256 in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,790 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.3% moving from Lancaster, PA to Rochester, NY ($108,592 → $107,182), while prices change by −1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.1% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,756 in Rochester | $101,259 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Rochester, NY
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,790/yr.
73 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Lancaster, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,790/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Rochester, NY | Real change, Lancaster → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $62,155 | −0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $75,202 | −0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $90,135 | −0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $107,182 | −0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $126,657 | −0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $62,840 | $63,631 (−18.8%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $122,770 | $124,316 (+18.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $80,890 | $81,909 (+7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $86,570 | $87,660 (−2.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.