City comparison
Modesto, CA vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 8.4% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $108,400 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,356 a month in Modesto, CA versus $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Modesto, CA and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.5% moving from Modesto, CA to York, PA ($133,060 → $121,785), while prices change by −7.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Modesto, CA | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.1 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,212 in York | $108,446 in Modesto |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,356/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,610 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Modesto, CA MSA and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Modesto, CA and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Modesto | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.5 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 152.3 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 104.1 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Modesto, CA → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
95 Strong offer
York, PA → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Modesto, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Modesto, CA to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Modesto, CA | York, PA | Real change, Modesto → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $70,623 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $85,447 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $102,415 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $121,785 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $143,913 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Modesto, CA | York, PA | York pay in Modesto dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,640 | $79,730 | $86,464 (−14.9%) |
| Software Developers | $119,770 | $114,600 | $124,279 (+3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,560 | $75,160 | $81,508 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $132,590 | $96,210 | $104,336 (−21.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.