City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Springfield, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 10.9% higher than in Springfield, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MO would need about $110,900 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 $883 in Springfield, MO. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 14% in Springfield, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $693 a year higher in Springfield, MO than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Springfield, MO ($108,592 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.7% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Springfield, MO: price level 88.6 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Springfield, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 88.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,156 in Springfield | $110,918 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $883/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $45,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Springfield, MO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Springfield, MO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 65.6 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 85.8 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 88.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Springfield, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$693/yr.
100 Strong offer
Springfield, MO → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$693/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Springfield, MO is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Springfield, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Springfield, MO | Real change, Lancaster → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,722 | +8.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,678 | +8.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,508 | +8.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,437 | +8.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $125,776 | +8.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Springfield, MO | Springfield pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $49,380 | $54,771 (−30.1%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $102,350 | $113,525 (+8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $73,020 | $80,993 (+6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $79,370 | $88,036 (−1.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.