City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 3.6% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $103,600 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,402 a month in Providence, RI versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,070 a year in PA and $3,148 in RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Providence, RI ($108,592 → $120,548), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.2% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,578 in Providence | $96,545 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$78/yr.
58 Fair offer
Providence, RI → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$78/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Providence, RI | Real change, Lancaster → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $69,905 | +7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $84,579 | +7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $101,375 | +7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $120,548 | +7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $142,452 | +7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $86,720 | $83,724 (+6.8%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $130,690 | $126,175 (+20.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $95,020 | $91,737 (+20.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $99,880 | $96,429 (+7.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.