City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 2.3% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $102,300 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,710 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.6% moving from Lancaster, PA to Springfield, MA ($108,592 → $120,094), while prices change by −2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.1% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,765 in Springfield | $102,286 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Springfield, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,710/yr.
76 Strong offer
Springfield, MA → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,710/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Springfield, MA | Real change, Lancaster → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $69,642 | +13.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $84,260 | +13.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $100,992 | +13.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $120,094 | +13.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $141,915 | +13.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $79,640 | $81,461 (+4.0%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $127,740 | $130,660 (+24.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $92,010 | $94,113 (+23.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $98,410 | $100,660 (+12.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.