City comparison
Tampa, FL vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tampa, FL are 5.1% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $105,100 in Tampa, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, FL and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in York, PA than in Tampa, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.4% moving from Tampa, FL to York, PA ($106,437 → $121,785), while prices change by −4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +20.2% in real buying power.
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (about average)
- 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
| Tampa, FL | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,153 in York | $105,094 in Tampa |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,696/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,940 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tampa | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.8 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 95.5 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 88.5 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 97.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tampa, FL → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
85 Strong offer
York, PA → Tampa, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tampa, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Tampa, FL to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tampa, FL | York, PA | Real change, Tampa → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,623 | +20.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,447 | +20.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,415 | +20.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,785 | +20.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,913 | +20.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tampa, FL | York, PA | York pay in Tampa dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,120 | $79,730 | $83,791 (+39.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,450 | $114,600 | $120,437 (−7.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,990 | $75,160 | $78,988 (−0.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $85,470 | $96,210 | $101,111 (+18.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.