City comparison
Louisville, KY vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in York, PA are 3.1% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $103,100 in York, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,047 a month in Louisville, KY and $1,060 in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $312 a year higher in Louisville, KY than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.4% moving from Louisville, KY to York, PA ($106,437 → $121,785), while prices change by +3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.9% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (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
| Louisville, KY | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,144 in York | $96,952 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → York, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$312/yr.
59 Fair offer
York, PA → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$312/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Louisville, KY 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 Louisville, KY to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | York, PA | Real change, Louisville → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,623 | +10.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,447 | +10.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,415 | +10.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,785 | +10.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,913 | +10.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | York, PA | York pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $79,730 | $77,300 (+25.5%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $114,600 | $111,107 (+0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $75,160 | $72,869 (−4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $96,210 | $93,278 (+9.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.