City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Manchester, NH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 7.5% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $107,500 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,552 a month in Manchester, NH versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Manchester, NH and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Manchester, NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Manchester, NH ($108,592 → $120,548), while prices change by +7.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.2% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Manchester, NH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 105.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,531 in Manchester | $92,996 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,552/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (NH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $56,530 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Manchester-Nashua, NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 134.2 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 97.7 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 133.5 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 103.7 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 105.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Manchester, NH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
47 Fair offer
Manchester, NH → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Manchester, NH is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Manchester, NH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Manchester, NH | Real change, Lancaster → Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $69,905 | +3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $84,579 | +3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $101,375 | +3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $120,548 | +3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $142,452 | +3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Manchester, NH | Manchester pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $73,380 | $68,241 (−12.9%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $162,090 | $150,738 (+43.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $83,660 | $77,801 (+2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $98,600 | $91,694 (+2.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.