City comparison
Boulder, CO vs Harrisburg, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Boulder, CO are 6.6% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $106,600 in Boulder, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,795 a month in Boulder, CO versus $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Boulder, CO and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $622 a year higher in Boulder, CO than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.5% moving from Boulder, CO to Harrisburg, PA ($118,675 → $108,592), while prices change by −6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.4% in real buying power.
- Boulder, CO: price level 105.2 (pricier)
- 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
| Boulder, CO | Harrisburg, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.2 | 98.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,772 in Harrisburg | $106,642 in Boulder |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,795/mo | $1,212/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $69,580 | $49,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Boulder, CO MSA and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA. Metro areas: Boulder, CO and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boulder | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 157.0 | 96.3 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 82.7 | 108.1 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 105.2 | 98.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boulder, CO → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$622/yr.
90 Strong offer
Harrisburg, PA → Boulder, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$622/yr.
44 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Boulder, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Harrisburg, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boulder, CO to Harrisburg, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boulder, CO | Harrisburg, PA | Real change, Boulder → Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $62,972 | −2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $76,190 | −2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $91,320 | −2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $108,592 | −2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $128,323 | −2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boulder, CO | Harrisburg, PA | Harrisburg pay in Boulder dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $154,990 | $100,780 | $107,473 (−30.7%) |
| Software Developers | $164,560 | $109,470 | $116,741 (−29.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,990 | $76,510 | $81,592 (−18.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,290 | $96,770 | $103,197 (−0.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.