City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 7.5% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $107,500 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Bremerton, WA to Lancaster, PA ($119,630 → $108,592), while prices change by −7.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.4% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Bremerton, WA | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,040 in Lancaster | $107,480 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
92 Strong offer
Lancaster, PA → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Bremerton → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $62,972 | −2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $76,190 | −2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $91,320 | −2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $108,592 | −2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $128,323 | −2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $78,360 | $84,222 (−18.0%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $104,740 | $112,575 (−23.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $76,110 | $81,803 (−7.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $89,620 | $96,324 (−10.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.