City comparison
Harrisburg, PA vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 5.5% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $105,500 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,356 a month in Modesto, CA versus $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Modesto, CA and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +22.5% moving from Harrisburg, PA to Modesto, CA ($108,592 → $133,060), while prices change by +5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +16.1% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Harrisburg, PA | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,533 in Modesto | $94,757 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $1,356/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
52 Fair offer
Modesto, CA → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | Modesto, CA | Real change, Harrisburg → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $77,161 | +16.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $93,358 | +16.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $111,896 | +16.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $133,060 | +16.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $157,236 | +16.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $101,640 | $96,311 (+24.8%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $119,770 | $113,491 (+3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $83,560 | $79,179 (+3.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $132,590 | $125,639 (+29.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.