City comparison
Phoenix, AZ vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 7.6% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $107,600 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $779 a year higher in York, PA than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.4% moving from Phoenix, AZ to York, PA ($111,338 → $121,785), while prices change by −7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +17.7% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (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
| Phoenix, AZ | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,919 in York | $107,621 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$779/yr.
93 Strong offer
York, PA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$779/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | York, PA | Real change, Phoenix → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $70,623 | +17.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $85,447 | +17.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $102,415 | +17.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $121,785 | +17.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $143,913 | +17.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | York, PA | York pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $79,730 | $85,806 (+45.0%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $114,600 | $123,333 (−6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $75,160 | $80,888 (+0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $96,210 | $103,542 (+2.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.