City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 1.4% higher than in Tucson, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Tucson, AZ would need about $101,400 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 $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $779 a year higher in Lancaster, PA than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.1% moving from Lancaster, PA to Tucson, AZ ($108,592 → $108,455), while prices change by −1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.3% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,615 in Tucson | $101,405 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Tucson, AZ
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$779/yr.
73 Strong offer
Tucson, AZ → Lancaster, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$779/yr.
64 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Lancaster → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $62,893 | +1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $76,095 | +1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $91,205 | +1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $108,455 | +1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $128,162 | +1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $96,540 | $102,260 | $103,696 (+7.4%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $123,710 | $125,448 (+19.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $76,320 | $77,392 (+1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $94,110 | $95,432 (+6.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.