City comparison
Harrisburg, PA vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Harrisburg, PA are 4.2% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $104,200 in Harrisburg, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,212 a month in Harrisburg, PA and $1,177 in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Harrisburg, PA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.5% moving from Harrisburg, PA to San Antonio, TX ($108,592 → $108,001), while prices change by −4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.6% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Harrisburg, PA | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,012 in San Antonio | $104,153 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
82 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Harrisburg → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $62,629 | +3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $75,776 | +3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $90,823 | +3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $108,001 | +3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $127,624 | +3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $61,720 | $64,284 (−16.7%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $128,430 | $133,764 (+22.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $78,650 | $81,917 (+7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $94,370 | $98,290 (+1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.