City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Harrisburg, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Boise City, ID (98.4) and Harrisburg, PA (98.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Boise City, ID goes as far as $100,300 in Harrisburg, PA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,122 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Boise City, ID to Harrisburg, PA ($106,437 → $108,592), while prices change by +0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.8% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boise City, ID | Harrisburg, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 98.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,263 in Harrisburg | $99,737 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,212/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $49,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 96.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 108.1 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 98.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Harrisburg, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,122/yr.
68 Fair offer
Harrisburg, PA → Boise City, ID
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,122/yr.
70 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Harrisburg, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Harrisburg, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Harrisburg, PA | Real change, Boise City → Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,972 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,190 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,320 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,592 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,323 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Harrisburg, PA | Harrisburg pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $77,160 | $76,957 (+25.7%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $109,470 | $109,183 (−17.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $76,510 | $76,309 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $96,770 | $96,516 (−1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.