City comparison
Lincoln, NE vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in York, PA are 4.8% higher than in Lincoln, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Lincoln, NE would need about $104,800 in York, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,060 a month in York, PA versus $926 in Lincoln, NE. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in York, PA and 15% in Lincoln, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $600 a year higher in Lincoln, NE than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.4% moving from Lincoln, NE to York, PA ($106,437 → $121,785), while prices change by +4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.2% in real buying power.
- Lincoln, NE: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lincoln, NE | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,825 in York | $95,397 in Lincoln |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $926/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,800 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Lincoln, NE HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Lincoln, NE and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lincoln | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.2 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 76.8 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lincoln, NE → York, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$600/yr.
54 Fair offer
York, PA → Lincoln, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$600/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lincoln, NE is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lincoln, NE to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lincoln, NE | York, PA | Real change, Lincoln → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,623 | +9.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,447 | +9.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,415 | +9.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,785 | +9.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,913 | +9.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lincoln, NE | York, PA | York pay in Lincoln dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,940 | $79,730 | $76,060 (+22.8%) |
| Software Developers | $101,690 | $114,600 | $109,325 (+7.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,170 | $75,160 | $71,700 (+10.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,530 | $96,210 | $91,781 (+4.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.