City comparison
Little Rock, AR vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Pittsburgh, PA are 5.9% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $105,900 in Pittsburgh, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,077 a month in Pittsburgh, PA versus $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Pittsburgh, PA and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $617 a year higher in Little Rock, AR than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from Little Rock, AR to Pittsburgh, PA ($106,437 → $110,047), while prices change by +5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.4% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Little Rock, AR | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,939 in Pittsburgh | $94,394 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$617/yr.
51 Fair offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$617/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Little Rock, AR is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Little Rock, AR to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Little Rock → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,815 | −2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,211 | −2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $92,543 | −2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $110,047 | −2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $130,042 | −2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $76,550 | $72,259 (+23.4%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $124,500 | $117,521 (+12.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $76,940 | $72,627 (+10.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $82,370 | $77,753 (−4.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.