City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 12.4% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $112,400 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 $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Youngstown, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.3% moving from Lancaster, PA to Youngstown, OH ($108,592 → $111,138), while prices change by −11.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.1% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,944 in Youngstown | $112,430 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.4%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
100 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Youngstown, OH | Real change, Lancaster → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $64,448 | +15.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $77,977 | +15.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $93,461 | +15.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $111,138 | +15.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $131,331 | +15.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $72,560 | $81,579 (+4.1%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $107,990 | $121,413 (+15.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $73,080 | $82,164 (+8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $78,680 | $88,460 (−1.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.