City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 3.3% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $103,300 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $693 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Lancaster, PA to St. Louis, MO ($108,592 → $109,137), while prices change by −3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.9% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,775 in St. Louis | $103,333 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$693/yr.
79 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$693/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Lancaster → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $63,288 | +3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $76,573 | +3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $91,779 | +3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $109,137 | +3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $128,967 | +3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $60,650 | $62,671 (−20.0%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $129,030 | $133,330 (+27.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $78,880 | $81,509 (+7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $83,180 | $85,952 (−4.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.