City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 2.8% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $102,800 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI and $1,220 in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $929 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Lancaster, PA ($106,437 → $108,592), while prices change by +2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.8% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: 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
| Grand Rapids, MI | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,837 in Lancaster | $97,241 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$929/yr.
60 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$929/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Grand Rapids → 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 | Grand Rapids, MI | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $78,360 | $76,198 (+23.1%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $104,740 | $101,850 (−5.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $76,110 | $74,010 (−3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $89,620 | $87,147 (+3.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.