City comparison
Boise City, ID vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boise City, ID are 2.5% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $102,500 in Boise City, ID to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,122 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.4% moving from Boise City, ID to York, PA ($106,437 → $121,785), while prices change by −2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +17.3% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- 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
| Boise City, ID | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,570 in York | $102,491 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,060/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,122/yr.
77 Strong offer
York, PA → Boise City, ID
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,122/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | York, PA | Real change, Boise City → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,623 | +17.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,447 | +17.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,415 | +17.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,785 | +17.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,913 | +17.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | York, PA | York pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $79,730 | $81,716 (+33.5%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $114,600 | $117,454 (−10.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $75,160 | $77,032 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $96,210 | $98,606 (+0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.