City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in York, PA are 1.4% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $101,400 in York, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in York, PA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from San Antonio, TX to York, PA ($108,001 → $121,785), while prices change by +1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.3% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Antonio, TX | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,356 in York | $98,663 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → York, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
65 Fair offer
York, PA → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | York, PA | Real change, San Antonio → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $70,623 | +11.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $85,447 | +11.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $102,415 | +11.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $121,785 | +11.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $143,913 | +11.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | York, PA | York pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $79,730 | $78,664 (+27.5%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $114,600 | $113,067 (−12.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $75,160 | $74,155 (−5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $96,210 | $94,923 (+0.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.