City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Worcester, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Worcester, MA are 4.3% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $104,300 in Worcester, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,599 a month in Worcester, MA versus $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Worcester, MA and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,710 a year higher in Worcester, MA than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.0% moving from Lancaster, PA to Worcester, MA ($108,592 → $120,548), while prices change by +4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.4% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Worcester, MA: price level 102.5 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lancaster, PA | Worcester, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 102.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,342 in Worcester | $95,839 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,599/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $57,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Worcester, MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Worcester, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 113.0 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 155.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 102.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Worcester, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$1,710/yr.
55 Fair offer
Worcester, MA → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,710/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Worcester, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Worcester, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Worcester, MA | Real change, Lancaster → Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $69,905 | +6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $84,579 | +6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $101,375 | +6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $120,548 | +6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $142,452 | +6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Worcester, MA | Worcester pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $82,810 | $79,364 (+1.3%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $146,950 | $140,835 (+34.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $94,070 | $90,156 (+18.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $100,240 | $96,069 (+7.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.