City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 10.1% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $110,100 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 $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $885 a year higher in Tulsa, OK than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Tulsa, OK ($108,592 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.0% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,797 in Tulsa | $110,136 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$885/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$885/yr.
40 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Lancaster → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $61,722 | +8.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $74,678 | +8.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,508 | +8.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,437 | +8.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $125,776 | +8.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $48,220 | $53,108 (−32.2%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $108,730 | $119,751 (+14.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $81,320 | $89,563 (+17.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $84,790 | $93,385 (+4.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.