City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 1.5% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $101,500 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.5% moving from Lancaster, PA to Waterbury, CT ($108,592 → $125,431), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.7% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,548 in Waterbury | $98,476 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Waterbury, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
64 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Lancaster, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Lancaster → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $72,737 | +13.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $88,005 | +13.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $105,481 | +13.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $125,431 | +13.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $148,222 | +13.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $79,640 | $78,426 (+0.1%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $131,290 | $129,289 (+23.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $93,010 | $91,592 (+20.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $101,690 | $100,140 (+11.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.