City comparison
Tulsa, OK vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in York, PA are 7.6% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $107,600 in York, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,060 a month in York, PA versus $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in York, PA and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $885 a year higher in Tulsa, OK than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.4% moving from Tulsa, OK to York, PA ($106,437 → $121,785), while prices change by +7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.3% in real buying power.
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much 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
| Tulsa, OK | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.2 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,606 in York | $92,931 in Tulsa |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $987/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,226 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,955 (OK) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Tulsa, OK and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tulsa | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.2 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 73.9 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 95.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 89.2 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tulsa, OK → York, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$885/yr.
47 Fair offer
York, PA → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$885/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tulsa, OK 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 Tulsa, OK to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tulsa, OK | York, PA | Real change, Tulsa → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,623 | +6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,447 | +6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,415 | +6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,785 | +6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,913 | +6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tulsa, OK | York, PA | York pay in Tulsa dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $48,220 | $79,730 | $74,094 (+53.7%) |
| Software Developers | $108,730 | $114,600 | $106,499 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,320 | $75,160 | $69,847 (−14.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,790 | $96,210 | $89,409 (+5.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.