City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 9.8% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $109,800 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,243 a month in Anchorage, AK versus $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Anchorage, AK and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in York, PA than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.2% moving from Anchorage, AK to York, PA ($120,348 → $121,785), while prices change by −8.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.1% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (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
| Anchorage, AK | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,064 in York | $109,813 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
99 Strong offer
York, PA → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | York, PA | Real change, Anchorage → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $70,623 | +11.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $85,447 | +11.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $102,415 | +11.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $121,785 | +11.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $143,913 | +11.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | York, PA | York pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $79,730 | $87,554 (+10.4%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $114,600 | $125,845 (+21.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $75,160 | $82,535 (+0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $96,210 | $105,651 (−8.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.