City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Lancaster, PA (98.3) and Virginia Beach, VA (97.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Lancaster, PA goes as far as $99,700 in Virginia Beach, VA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,866 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.5% moving from Lancaster, PA to Virginia Beach, VA ($108,592 → $108,019), while prices change by −0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.2% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,678 in Virginia Beach | $100,323 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Virginia Beach, VA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,866/yr.
70 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Lancaster, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,866/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Lancaster → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $62,640 | −0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $75,788 | −0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $90,838 | −0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $108,019 | −0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $127,646 | −0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $63,380 | $63,584 (−18.9%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $129,090 | $129,507 (+23.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $79,450 | $79,706 (+4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $89,450 | $89,739 (+0.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.