City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Springfield, MA are 1.5% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $101,500 in Springfield, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,710 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.1% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to Springfield, MA ($110,047 → $120,094), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.6% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Pittsburgh, PA | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,468 in Springfield | $98,553 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → Springfield, MA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,710/yr.
64 Fair offer
Springfield, MA → Pittsburgh, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,710/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | Springfield, MA | Real change, Pittsburgh → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $69,642 | +7.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $84,260 | +7.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $100,992 | +7.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $120,094 | +7.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $141,915 | +7.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $79,640 | $78,488 (+2.5%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $127,740 | $125,892 (+1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $92,010 | $90,679 (+17.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $98,410 | $96,986 (+17.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.