City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Minneapolis, MN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Minneapolis, MN are 6.7% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $106,700 in Minneapolis, MN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,405 a month in Minneapolis, MN versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Minneapolis, MN and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,207 a year higher in Minneapolis, MN than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.9% moving from Lancaster, PA to Minneapolis, MN ($108,592 → $116,038), while prices change by +6.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.2% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Minneapolis, MN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 104.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,681 in Minneapolis | $93,737 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,405/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $73,903 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,277 (MN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $59,320 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 111.8 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 103.1 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 93.5 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 104.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Minneapolis, MN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$2,207/yr.
49 Fair offer
Minneapolis, MN → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,207/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Minneapolis, MN is in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Minneapolis, MN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Minneapolis, MN | Real change, Lancaster → Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $67,290 | +0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $81,415 | +0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $97,582 | +0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $116,038 | +0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $137,123 | +0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Minneapolis, MN | Minneapolis pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $79,730 | $74,737 (−4.6%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $130,920 | $122,720 (+17.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $86,500 | $81,083 (+6.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $103,040 | $96,587 (+7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.