City comparison
Cincinnati, OH vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 3.0% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $103,000 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.1% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Lancaster, PA ($110,865 → $108,592), while prices change by +3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.9% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (cheaper)
- 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
| Cincinnati, OH | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,027 in Lancaster | $97,062 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
60 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Cincinnati → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $62,972 | −4.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $76,190 | −4.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $91,320 | −4.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $108,592 | −4.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $128,323 | −4.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $78,360 | $76,058 (+17.5%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $104,740 | $101,663 (−16.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $76,110 | $73,874 (−8.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $89,620 | $86,987 (+4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.