on $100k a year, leaving Sacramento
changea dispatch from
harrisburg
PA
40.26°N
76.88°W
Harrisburg is the Pennsylvania state capital sitting on the Susquehanna River, with a gorgeous Beaux-Arts capitol building (Theodore Roosevelt called it the handsomest building he ever saw). City Island in the middle of the river is a small park with minor league baseball. Hershey is 15 minutes east (yes, that Hershey). Slower-paced than its metro neighbors.
in our guides
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Best affordable cities to retire
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Affordable alternatives to Boise
read the guidethe verdict
lighter monthly cost than Sacramento
In Harrisburg, rent stops being the headline. The cost gap shows up every month without you trying.
a quick ledger.
$1,446/mo
35% cheaper than Sacramento(vs $2,226/mo)
3.07%
$519/mo less in state tax than Sacramento
vs 9.3% in Sacramento
$6,632/mo
$1,300 more than Sacramento
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$309k
48% cheaper than Sacramento
vs $589k in Sacramento
606k
vs 2.4M in Sacramento
field notes, weather & such.
152
pleasant days a year, in harrisburg.
Sacramento edges ahead with 211 pleasant days. Winter has bite, though: 33 days drop below 20° vs Sacramento's 0.
But the calendar thins out: Sacramento stays 2.5× busier.
69/100
8% lower than Sacramento
vs 75/100 in Sacramento
Closest outdoor draw: Gifford Pinchot State Park, 12.7 mi.
93/100
5% lower than Sacramento
vs 98/100 in Sacramento
12
57% fewer than Sacramento
vs 28 nonstops in Sacramento
neighbors of harrisburg on the map of tradeoffs:
