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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Harrisburg skyline
PA Uploader. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License
Lancaster skyline
Randolph Carney. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License

Harrisburg vs Lancaster

$363/mo less in Lancaster

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

HarrisburgLancasterAbout 47 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Lancaster costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,349/mo in Lancaster. $2,712/mo in Harrisburg. −$4,356 a year.

Harrisburg

$2,712

left each month

Lancaster

$2,349

−$363 vs Harrisburg

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Lancaster wins 0 of 4Harrisburg 4 · ties 0
$5,808Take-home · Harrisburg$5,581
$1,115Rent · Harrisburg$1,217
$1,981Other bills · Harrisburg$2,015
$2,712Left over · Harrisburg$2,349

Next

In 2022-2023, 835 households moved Harrisburg → Lancaster (avg AGI $59,508). 893 went the other way. The whole move →

−$363 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthHarrisburgLancaster
Less leftMore left
Lancaster · this breakdownHarrisburg · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Harrisburg, PA and Lancaster, PA
Per monthHarrisburgLancasterDifference
Gross pay$7,708$7,365−$343
Income and payroll tax$1,900$1,785−$116
Take-home pay$5,808$5,581−$227
Rent$1,115$1,217+$102
Getting around$527$561+$34
Groceries$401$401$0
Healthcare$451$451$0
Utilities$251$251$0
Everything else$351$351$0
Left over$2,712$2,349−$363

Salary to match Harrisburg

$95,000

Gross pay in Lancaster that leaves the same amount as $92,500 in Harrisburg.

Tax difference

+$167

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.7% in Harrisburg, 24.2% in Lancaster.

More about Lancaster

Harrisburg, PA in full

A flat 3.07% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,327 and 197 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.

Lancaster, PA in full

A flat 3.07% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,449 and 194 sunny days; commutes average 24 minutes.

The other way

Start in Lancaster.

Lancaster → Harrisburg →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Lancaster than Harrisburg?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Lancaster leaves about $363 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,115 in Harrisburg and $1,217 in Lancaster.

Does Lancaster have state income tax?

Lancaster is in Pennsylvania, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 1.00%.

What changes if you move from Harrisburg to Lancaster?

The paycheck is taxed in Pennsylvania. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Harrisburg and Lancaster changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.