City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 14.4% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $114,400 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 $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to McAllen, TX ($108,592 → $106,437), while prices change by −12.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.1% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,419 in McAllen | $114,392 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.4%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | McAllen, TX | Real change, Lancaster → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,722 | +12.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,678 | +12.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,508 | +12.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,437 | +12.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $125,776 | +12.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $63,110 | $72,193 (−7.9%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $116,120 | $132,832 (+26.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $64,470 | $73,749 (−3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $80,540 | $92,131 (+2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.