City comparison
Asheville, NC vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 1.8% higher than in Asheville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Asheville, NC would need about $101,800 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,429 a month in Asheville, NC versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Asheville, NC and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $411 a year higher in Asheville, NC than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Asheville, NC to Lancaster, PA ($106,437 → $108,592), while prices change by +1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.2% in real buying power.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (cheaper)
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Asheville, NC | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,814 in Lancaster | $98,218 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,870 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → Lancaster, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$411/yr.
63 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Asheville, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$411/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Asheville, NC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Asheville, NC to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Asheville → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,972 | +0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,190 | +0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,320 | +0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,592 | +0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,323 | +0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $78,360 | $76,964 (+53.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $104,740 | $102,873 (−23.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $76,110 | $74,754 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $89,620 | $88,023 (+7.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.