City comparison
Little Rock, AR vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in York, PA are 7.4% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $107,400 in York, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,060 a month in York, PA versus $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in York, PA and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $617 a year higher in Little Rock, AR than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.4% moving from Little Rock, AR to York, PA ($106,437 → $121,785), while prices change by +7.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.5% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (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
| Little Rock, AR | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,426 in York | $93,088 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → York, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$617/yr.
47 Fair offer
York, PA → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$617/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Little Rock, AR 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 Little Rock, AR to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | York, PA | Real change, Little Rock → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,623 | +6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,447 | +6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,415 | +6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,785 | +6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,913 | +6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | York, PA | York pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $79,730 | $74,219 (+26.7%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $114,600 | $106,678 (+2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $75,160 | $69,965 (+6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $96,210 | $89,559 (+10.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.