City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 1.8% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $101,800 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,497 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.5% moving from Atlanta, GA to Lancaster, PA ($112,556 → $108,592), while prices change by −1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- 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
| Atlanta, GA | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,200 in Lancaster | $101,833 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Lancaster, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,497/yr.
74 Strong offer
Lancaster, PA → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$1,497/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Atlanta → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,972 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $76,190 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $91,320 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $108,592 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $128,323 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $78,360 | $79,796 (+4.2%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $104,740 | $106,660 (−19.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $76,110 | $77,505 (−9.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $89,620 | $91,263 (−9.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.