City comparison
York, PA vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in York, PA are 9.8% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $109,800 in York, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,060 a month in York, PA versus $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in York, PA and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in York, PA than in Youngstown, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.7% moving from York, PA to Youngstown, OH ($121,785 → $111,138), while prices change by −9.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.2% in real buying power.
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| York, PA | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.0 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,035 in Youngstown | $109,847 in York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,060/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,170 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: York-Hanover, PA MSA and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: York-Hanover, PA and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | York | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 96.0 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
York, PA → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
100 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → York, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
York, PA is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from York, PA to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | York, PA | Youngstown, OH | Real change, York → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $64,448 | +0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $77,977 | +0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $93,461 | +0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $111,138 | +0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $131,331 | +0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | York, PA | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,730 | $72,560 | $79,705 (−0.0%) |
| Software Developers | $114,600 | $107,990 | $118,624 (+3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,160 | $73,080 | $80,276 (+6.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,210 | $78,680 | $86,428 (−10.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.