City comparison
Columbus, 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 2.9% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $102,900 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,194 a month in Columbus, OH and $1,220 in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Columbus, OH to Lancaster, PA ($111,065 → $108,592), while prices change by +2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (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
| Columbus, OH | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,920 in Lancaster | $97,163 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/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 | 19% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
60 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Columbus → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $62,972 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $76,190 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $91,320 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $108,592 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $128,323 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $78,360 | $76,137 (−2.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $104,740 | $101,768 (−16.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $76,110 | $73,950 (−9.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $89,620 | $87,077 (+3.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.