City comparison
Harrisburg, PA vs San Diego, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 13.4% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $113,400 in San Diego, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,459 a month in San Diego, CA versus $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.0% moving from Harrisburg, PA to San Diego, CA ($108,592 → $121,585), while prices change by +13.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.3% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Harrisburg, PA | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,418 in San Diego | $88,169 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $2,459/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% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.8%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | San Diego, CA | Real change, Harrisburg → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $70,507 | −1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $85,307 | −1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $102,246 | −1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $121,585 | −1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $143,677 | −1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $97,000 | $85,524 (+10.8%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $163,270 | $143,954 (+31.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $96,340 | $84,942 (+11.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $139,520 | $123,014 (+27.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.