City comparison
Dayton, 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 6.0% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $106,000 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 $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Dayton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.6% moving from Dayton, OH to Lancaster, PA ($110,401 → $108,592), while prices change by +6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.2% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (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
| Dayton, OH | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,001 in Lancaster | $94,338 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/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 | $49,980 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
51 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Dayton → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $62,972 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $76,190 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $91,320 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $108,592 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $128,323 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $78,360 | $73,924 (−8.0%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $104,740 | $98,810 (−7.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $76,110 | $71,801 (−9.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $89,620 | $84,546 (+2.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.