City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 2.8% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $102,800 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.6% moving from Lancaster, PA to Reno, NV ($108,592 → $106,855), while prices change by +2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.3% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,806 in Reno | $97,271 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
60 Fair offer
Reno, NV → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Reno, NV | Real change, Lancaster → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,965 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,972 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,859 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,855 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $126,271 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $62,430 | $60,726 (−22.5%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $125,710 | $122,279 (+16.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $82,370 | $80,122 (+5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $107,520 | $104,585 (+16.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.