City comparison
Fresno, CA vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fresno, CA are 6.4% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $106,400 in Fresno, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,355 a month in Fresno, CA versus $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Fresno, CA and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Fresno, CA than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.8% moving from Fresno, CA to York, PA ($106,973 → $121,785), while prices change by −6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +21.1% in real buying power.
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (pricier)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fresno, CA | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.2 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,972 in York | $106,415 in Fresno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,355/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,910 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Fresno, CA and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fresno | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 95.7 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 161.0 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 102.2 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fresno, CA → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
89 Strong offer
York, PA → Fresno, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fresno, CA is in the Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fresno, CA to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fresno, CA | York, PA | Real change, Fresno → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,033 | $70,623 | +21.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,055 | $85,447 | +21.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,959 | $102,415 | +21.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,973 | $121,785 | +21.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,410 | $143,913 | +21.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fresno, CA | York, PA | York pay in Fresno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,800 | $79,730 | $84,844 (+7.7%) |
| Software Developers | $129,060 | $114,600 | $121,951 (−5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,690 | $75,160 | $79,981 (+1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,420 | $96,210 | $102,381 (−18.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.