City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 12.0% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $112,000 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,665 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($108,592 → $107,510), while prices change by −10.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.9% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,278 in Tuscaloosa | $112,010 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,665/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,665/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Lancaster → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $62,344 | +10.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $75,431 | +10.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $90,410 | +10.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $107,510 | +10.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $127,044 | +10.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $60,220 | $67,452 (−13.9%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $104,870 | $117,464 (+12.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $71,690 | $80,300 (+5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $75,250 | $84,287 (−6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.