City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Lancaster, PA (98.3) and Merced, CA (98.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Lancaster, PA goes as far as $100,000 in Merced, CA.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA and $1,213 in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +22.5% moving from Lancaster, PA to Merced, CA ($108,592 → $133,060), while prices change by +0.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +22.5% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Merced, CA: 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
| Lancaster, PA | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,018 in Merced | $99,982 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Merced, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
69 Fair offer
Merced, CA → Lancaster, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Merced, CA | Real change, Lancaster → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $77,161 | +22.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $93,358 | +22.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $111,896 | +22.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $133,060 | +22.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $157,236 | +22.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $100,120 | $100,102 (+27.7%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $132,120 | $132,096 (+26.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $80,420 | $80,405 (+5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $131,620 | $131,596 (+46.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.