City comparison
Houston, TX vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Houston, TX (98.6) and Lancaster, PA (98.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Houston, TX goes as far as $99,600 in Lancaster, PA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.5% moving from Houston, TX to Lancaster, PA ($122,749 → $108,592), while prices change by −0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.2% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- 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
| Houston, TX | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,623 in Lancaster | $100,379 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Lancaster, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
70 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Houston → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $62,972 | −11.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $76,190 | −11.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $91,320 | −11.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $108,592 | −11.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $128,323 | −11.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $78,360 | $78,657 (+21.9%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $104,740 | $105,137 (−18.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $76,110 | $76,398 (−10.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $89,620 | $89,959 (−9.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.