City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Savannah, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 3.2% higher than in Savannah, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Savannah, GA would need about $103,200 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,497 a year higher in Savannah, GA than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Savannah, GA ($108,592 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.2% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Savannah, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 95.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,895 in Savannah | $103,205 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,533/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $47,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Savannah, GA MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Savannah, GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Savannah |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 88.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 95.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Savannah, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,497/yr.
79 Strong offer
Savannah, GA → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,497/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Savannah, GA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Savannah, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Savannah, GA | Real change, Lancaster → Savannah |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,722 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,678 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,508 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,437 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $125,776 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Savannah, GA | Savannah pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $63,710 | $65,752 (−16.1%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $123,220 | $127,169 (+21.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $79,790 | $82,347 (+8.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $86,760 | $89,540 (−0.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.