City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 2.0% higher than in Nashville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Nashville, TN would need about $102,000 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Nashville, TN ($108,592 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.0% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,047 in Nashville | $101,992 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Nashville, TN
Roughly even
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
75 Strong offer
Nashville, TN → Lancaster, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Nashville, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Nashville, TN | Real change, Lancaster → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,722 | −0.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,678 | −0.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,508 | −0.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,437 | −0.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $125,776 | −0.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $61,460 | $62,684 (−20.0%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $126,610 | $129,132 (+23.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $78,080 | $79,635 (+4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $84,040 | $85,714 (−4.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.