City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Toledo, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 7.4% higher than in Toledo, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Toledo, OH would need about $107,400 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 $820 in Toledo, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 13% in Toledo, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,102 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Toledo, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Toledo, OH ($108,592 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.3% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Toledo, OH: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Toledo, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 91.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,077 in Toledo | $107,438 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $820/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $48,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Toledo, OH MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Toledo, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Toledo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 67.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 91.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Toledo, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.4%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$1,102/yr.
92 Strong offer
Toledo, OH → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,102/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Toledo, OH is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Toledo, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Toledo, OH | Real change, Lancaster → Toledo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,722 | +5.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,678 | +5.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,508 | +5.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,437 | +5.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $125,776 | +5.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Toledo, OH | Toledo pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $63,250 | $67,954 (−13.3%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $104,360 | $112,122 (+7.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $77,400 | $83,157 (+9.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $81,050 | $87,078 (−2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.