City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Shreveport, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 15.9% higher than in Shreveport, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Shreveport, LA would need about $115,900 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $982 in Shreveport, LA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 15% in Shreveport, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $456 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Shreveport, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Shreveport, LA ($108,592 → $106,437), while prices change by −13.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.6% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Shreveport, LA: price level 84.8 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Shreveport, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 84.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,270 in Shreveport | $115,916 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $44,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Shreveport-Bossier City, LA MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Shreveport-Bossier City, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Shreveport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 52.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 72.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 84.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Shreveport, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$456/yr.
100 Strong offer
Shreveport, LA → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$456/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Shreveport, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Shreveport, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Shreveport, LA | Real change, Lancaster → Shreveport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,722 | +13.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,678 | +13.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,508 | +13.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,437 | +13.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $125,776 | +13.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Shreveport, LA | Shreveport pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $61,850 | $71,694 (−8.5%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $96,680 | $112,067 (+7.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $70,420 | $81,628 (+7.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $80,080 | $92,825 (+3.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.