$100k salary, packing up from Charlotte
changea dispatch from
lancaster
PA
40.04°N
76.30°W
Lancaster is the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country, with horse-drawn buggies on rural roads and the Central Market (the oldest continuously operating farmers market in the country, since the 1730s). The food scene is sneaky-strong, the surrounding farmland is gorgeous, and the city's downtown has come back nicely. Whoopie pies, shoofly pies, and sticky buns are mandatory.
the verdict
under Charlotte, every month
The gap is real. Lancaster costs noticeably less than Charlotte, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,517/mo
12% cheaper than Charlotte(vs $1,728/mo)
3.07%
$119/mo less in state tax than Charlotte
vs 4.5% in Charlotte
$6,561/mo
$331 more than Charlotte
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$384k
2% cheaper than Charlotte
vs $391k in Charlotte
559k
vs 2.8M in Charlotte
field notes, weather & such.
158
pleasant days a year, in lancaster.
Charlotte edges ahead with 200 pleasant days. Winter has bite, though: 25 days drop below 20° vs Charlotte's 3.
Charlotte hosts 7.5× more events.
63/100
24% higher than Charlotte
vs 51/100 in Charlotte
Closest outdoor draw: Susquehanna Riverlands State Park, 18.3 mi.
97/100
3% higher than Charlotte
vs 94/100 in Charlotte
1
99% fewer than Charlotte
vs 141 nonstops in Charlotte
same energy as lancaster, different zip code:
compare lancaster with:
