City comparison
Fayetteville, AR vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 7.6% higher than in Fayetteville, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, AR would need about $107,600 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $1,115 in Fayetteville, AR. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 18% in Fayetteville, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $617 a year higher in Fayetteville, AR than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Fayetteville, AR to Lancaster, PA ($106,437 → $108,592), while prices change by +7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.1% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, AR: price level 91.4 (much 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
| Fayetteville, AR | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.4 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,557 in Lancaster | $92,974 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,115/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,610 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR MSA and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.9 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 75.1 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 91.4 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, AR → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$617/yr.
47 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Fayetteville, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$617/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, AR is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, AR to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, AR | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Fayetteville → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,972 | −5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,190 | −5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,320 | −5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,592 | −5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,323 | −5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, AR | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,010 | $78,360 | $72,854 (+19.4%) |
| Software Developers | $105,130 | $104,740 | $97,380 (−7.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,190 | $76,110 | $70,762 (−8.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,910 | $89,620 | $83,323 (+6.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.