City comparison
Crestview, FL vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 1.3% higher than in Crestview, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Crestview, FL would need about $101,300 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Crestview, FL versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Crestview, FL and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Crestview, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Crestview, FL to Lancaster, PA ($106,437 → $108,592), while prices change by +1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Crestview, FL: price level 97.0 (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
| Crestview, FL | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,264 in Lancaster | $98,752 in Crestview |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,220/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 | 24% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,510 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Crestview | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.9 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Crestview, FL → Lancaster, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
65 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Crestview, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Crestview, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Crestview, FL to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Crestview, FL | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Crestview → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,972 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,190 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,320 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,592 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,323 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Crestview, FL | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Crestview dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,330 | $78,360 | $77,382 (+28.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,640 | $104,740 | $103,433 (−20.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,510 | $76,110 | $75,160 (−5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,260 | $89,620 | $88,502 (+8.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.