City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in York, PA are 3.7% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $103,700 in York, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,197 a month in Kansas City, MO versus $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kansas City, MO and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $693 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.6% moving from Kansas City, MO to York, PA ($108,173 → $121,785), while prices change by +3.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.5% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kansas City, MO | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,736 in York | $96,399 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,060/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → York, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$693/yr.
57 Fair offer
York, PA → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$693/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | York, PA | Real change, Kansas City → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $70,623 | +8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $85,447 | +8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $102,415 | +8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $121,785 | +8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $143,913 | +8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | York, PA | York pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $79,730 | $76,859 (+25.9%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $114,600 | $110,473 (−11.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $75,160 | $72,453 (−9.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $96,210 | $92,745 (+11.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.