City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Tampa, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tampa, FL are 2.7% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $102,700 in Tampa, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, FL and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Tampa, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Tampa, FL ($108,592 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.5% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Tampa, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,680 in Tampa | $97,390 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,696/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $48,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 125.8 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 97.6 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Tampa, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
60 Fair offer
Tampa, FL → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Tampa, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Tampa, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Tampa, FL | Real change, Lancaster → Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,722 | −4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,678 | −4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,508 | −4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,437 | −4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $125,776 | −4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Tampa, FL | Tampa pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $60,120 | $58,551 (−25.3%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $130,450 | $127,046 (+21.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $78,990 | $76,929 (+1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $85,470 | $83,239 (−7.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.