City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 5.6% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $105,600 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,665 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Huntsville, AL to Lancaster, PA ($110,847 → $108,592), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.2% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (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
| Huntsville, AL | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,571 in Lancaster | $94,723 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,665/yr.
52 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,665/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Huntsville → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $62,972 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $76,190 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $91,320 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $108,592 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $128,323 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $78,360 | $74,225 (+19.2%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $104,740 | $99,213 (−22.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $76,110 | $72,094 (−9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $89,620 | $84,891 (+10.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.