City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, ME are 3.7% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $103,700 in Portland, ME to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,584 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Portland, ME ($108,592 → $120,548), while prices change by +3.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.1% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,665 in Portland | $96,465 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $56,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Portland, ME
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$2,584/yr.
55 Fair offer
Portland, ME → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,584/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Portland, ME | Real change, Lancaster → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $69,905 | +7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $84,579 | +7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $101,375 | +7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $120,548 | +7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $142,452 | +7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $76,770 | $74,056 (−5.5%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $128,710 | $124,160 (+18.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $79,790 | $76,969 (+1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $88,470 | $85,342 (−4.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.