City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Syracuse, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 2.6% higher than in Syracuse, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Syracuse, NY would need about $102,600 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 $1,123 in Syracuse, NY. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 18% in Syracuse, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,790 a year higher in Syracuse, NY than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Syracuse, NY ($108,592 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.6% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Syracuse, NY: price level 95.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Syracuse, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 95.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,440 in Syracuse | $102,627 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $52,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Syracuse, NY MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Syracuse, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 80.7 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 133.4 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 95.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Syracuse, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,790/yr.
77 Strong offer
Syracuse, NY → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,790/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Syracuse, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Syracuse, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Syracuse, NY | Real change, Lancaster → Syracuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,722 | +0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,678 | +0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,508 | +0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,437 | +0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $125,776 | +0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Syracuse, NY | Syracuse pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $78,560 | $80,624 (+2.9%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $129,100 | $132,491 (+26.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $82,230 | $84,390 (+10.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $86,960 | $89,244 (−0.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.