City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 5.1% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $105,100 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $779 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Lancaster, PA to Phoenix, AZ ($108,592 → $111,338), while prices change by +5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.5% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,149 in Phoenix | $95,103 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$779/yr.
53 Fair offer
Phoenix, AZ → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$779/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Lancaster → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $64,564 | −2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $78,117 | −2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $93,629 | −2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $111,338 | −2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $131,568 | −2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $59,180 | $56,282 (−28.2%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $131,750 | $125,299 (+19.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $80,820 | $76,863 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $100,830 | $95,893 (+7.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.