City comparison
Huntington, WV vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 11.1% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $111,100 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $815 a year higher in Huntington, WV than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Huntington, WV to Lancaster, PA ($106,437 → $108,592), while prices change by +11.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.2% in real buying power.
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (much 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
| Huntington, WV | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.4 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,123 in Lancaster | $89,991 in Huntington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $853/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,295 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,885 (WV) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,600 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntington | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 51.3 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 88.4 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntington, WV → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$815/yr.
38 Weak offer
Lancaster, PA → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$815/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntington, WV is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntington, WV to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntington, WV | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Huntington → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,972 | −8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,190 | −8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,320 | −8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,592 | −8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,323 | −8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntington, WV | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Huntington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,450 | $78,360 | $70,517 (+22.7%) |
| Software Developers | $110,780 | $104,740 | $94,256 (−14.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,840 | $76,110 | $68,492 (−3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $89,620 | $80,650 (−0.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.