City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 6.2% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $106,200 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,197 a month in Kansas City, MO and $1,220 in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $693 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.4% moving from Kansas City, MO to Lancaster, PA ($108,173 → $108,592), while prices change by +6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.5% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (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
| Kansas City, MO | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,174 in Lancaster | $94,185 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$693/yr.
51 Fair offer
Lancaster, PA → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$693/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Kansas City → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $62,972 | −5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $76,190 | −5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $91,320 | −5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $108,592 | −5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $128,323 | −5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $78,360 | $73,803 (+20.9%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $104,740 | $98,649 (−21.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $76,110 | $71,684 (−10.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $89,620 | $84,408 (+1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.