Uprootmap
Dover vs Lancaster
Dover and Lancaster
Photo: Randolph Carney / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Assumed income $83,730, same in both cities. Example, until you change it.
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So you know: homicide deaths in Lancaster are under the US rate in this release, 2.2 versus 6.5 per 100,000. CDC via County Health Rankings, CDC NVSS 2017–2023 (CHR 2025 release).
Why people look at Dover to Lancaster
IRS migration on this site does not list a filed flow from Dover to Lancaster above the cutoff in 2022-2023.
A one-bedroom asking rent is about $1,336 in Dover and $1,217 in Lancaster. Dover has a state tax on wages. Lancaster has a state tax on wages. Local pay in Lancaster is 95% of the national level for the same work, against 90% in Dover.
Lancaster averages 194 sunny days, with July highs around 87°F and January nights around 30°F. Dover is 214 sunny days, 88°F in July, 34°F in January. Commutes average 24 minutes in Lancaster and 27 in Dover.
These figures are projections built from available public data. Conditions change, and the numbers may not reflect current prices, taxes, or immigration rules. Check official sources before you make decisions.
Who already made this move
The IRS did not publish a large enough Dover → Lancaster pair for 2022-2023. That usually means fewer than a few dozen tax returns, not that nobody moved.
Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.
The monthly number is take-home pay minus rent and the other bills. The gap between Dover and Lancaster changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this.
What the move itself costs
About 92 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $1,600–$3,050
- Container or pod
- $1,100–$2,050
- Rent a truck
- $400–$750
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Dig into Lancaster
Questions
Is Lancaster cheaper than Dover after tax and rent?
Yes. Lancaster leaves about $164 more a month, so the cost of living is lower there for this household. A one-bedroom is about $1,336 in Dover 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%.
Did people actually move from Dover to Lancaster?
Yes, when the IRS published that flow. The count and their average income are on this page. Leftover prices the same household in both cities.