City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salem, OR are 5.5% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $105,500 in Salem, OR to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA and $1,201 in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,850 a year higher in Salem, 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 Salem, OR ($108,592 → $114,684), while prices change by +5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.1% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,488 in Salem | $94,798 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,201/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Salem, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,850/yr.
52 Fair offer
Salem, OR → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,850/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Salem, OR | Real change, Lancaster → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $66,505 | +0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $80,465 | +0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $96,443 | +0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $114,684 | +0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $135,522 | +0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $74,810 | $70,918 (−9.5%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $131,620 | $124,773 (+19.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $87,480 | $82,929 (+9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $131,750 | $124,896 (+39.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.