City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 13.1% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $113,100 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Lancaster, PA to Seattle, WA ($108,592 → $119,630), while prices change by +13.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.6% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,104 in Seattle | $88,414 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Seattle, WA | Real change, Lancaster → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $69,373 | −2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $83,935 | −2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $100,602 | −2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $119,630 | −2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $141,367 | −2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $102,920 | $90,996 (+16.1%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $167,280 | $147,899 (+41.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $99,370 | $87,857 (+15.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $128,260 | $113,400 (+26.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.