City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Miami, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 16.2% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $116,200 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,995 a month in Miami, FL versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Miami, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Lancaster, PA to Miami, FL ($108,592 → $113,356), while prices change by +16.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.2% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Miami, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 114.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,180 in Miami | $86,073 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $48,640 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 155.6 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 103.6 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 97.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 109.1 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 114.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.9%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
30 Weak offer
Miami, FL → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Miami, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Miami, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Miami, FL | Real change, Lancaster → Miami |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $65,735 | −10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $79,533 | −10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $95,326 | −10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $113,356 | −10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $133,953 | −10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Miami, FL | Miami pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $58,300 | $50,181 (−36.0%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $132,650 | $114,176 (+9.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $80,920 | $69,651 (−8.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $91,380 | $78,654 (−12.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.