City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 5.5% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $105,500 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Lancaster, PA to Olympia, WA ($108,592 → $119,630), while prices change by +5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.4% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,509 in Olympia | $94,779 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
52 Fair offer
Olympia, WA → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Olympia, WA | Real change, Lancaster → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $69,373 | +4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $83,935 | +4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $100,602 | +4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $119,630 | +4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $141,367 | +4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $104,650 | $99,186 (+26.6%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $124,060 | $117,582 (+12.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $94,470 | $89,537 (+17.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $125,020 | $118,492 (+32.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.