City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 9.7% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $109,700 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +22.5% moving from Lancaster, PA to Santa Rosa, CA ($108,592 → $133,060), while prices change by +9.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.7% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,696 in Santa Rosa | $91,161 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $2,155/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% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.8%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
26 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Lancaster → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $77,161 | +11.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $93,358 | +11.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $111,896 | +11.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $133,060 | +11.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $157,236 | +11.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $99,060 | $90,304 (+15.2%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $148,630 | $135,493 (+29.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $94,690 | $86,320 (+13.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $174,550 | $159,122 (+77.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.