City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 2.1% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $102,100 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA and $1,193 in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.5% moving from Lancaster, PA to Spokane, WA ($108,592 → $106,991), while prices change by +2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.5% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,126 in Spokane | $97,918 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
62 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Lancaster → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $62,044 | −3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $75,068 | −3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,974 | −3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,991 | −3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $126,432 | −3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $98,800 | $96,743 (+23.5%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $130,690 | $127,969 (+22.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $86,350 | $84,552 (+11.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $111,750 | $109,424 (+22.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.