City comparison
Cape Coral, FL vs Harrisburg, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cape Coral, FL are 3.7% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $103,700 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Harrisburg, PA than in Cape Coral, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Cape Coral, FL to Harrisburg, PA ($106,437 → $108,592), while prices change by −3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.9% in real buying power.
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (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
| Cape Coral, FL | Harrisburg, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.3 | 98.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,386 in Harrisburg | $103,750 in Cape Coral |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,638/mo | $1,212/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,780 | $49,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA. Metro areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cape Coral | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 96.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 86.9 | 108.1 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 102.3 | 98.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cape Coral, FL → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
80 Strong offer
Harrisburg, PA → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cape Coral, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Harrisburg, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cape Coral, FL to Harrisburg, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cape Coral, FL | Harrisburg, PA | Real change, Cape Coral → Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,972 | +5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,190 | +5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,320 | +5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,592 | +5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,323 | +5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cape Coral, FL | Harrisburg, PA | Harrisburg pay in Cape Coral dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,470 | $77,160 | $80,053 (+32.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,940 | $109,470 | $113,575 (−10.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,420 | $76,510 | $79,379 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,860 | $96,770 | $100,399 (+21.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.