with $100k coming in, swapping out of Chicago
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
cheaper each month than Chicago
Lancaster runs on a fraction of Chicago's budget. Same paycheck, real lifestyle upgrade.
a quick ledger.
$1,517/mo
30% cheaper than Chicago(vs $2,170/mo)
3.07%
$157/mo less in state tax than Chicago
vs 4.95% in Chicago
$6,561/mo
$810 more than Chicago
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$384k
5% more expensive than Chicago
vs $365k in Chicago
559k
vs 9.3M in Chicago
field notes, weather & such.
158
pleasant days a year, in lancaster.
Chicago barely cracks 153 pleasant ones.
99% fewer events than Chicago. The pace eases up.
63/100
10% lower than Chicago
vs 70/100 in Chicago
Closest outdoor draw: Susquehanna Riverlands State Park, 18.3 mi.
97/100
3% lower than Chicago
vs 100/100 in Chicago
1
100% fewer than Chicago
vs 217 nonstops in Chicago
neighbors of lancaster on the map of tradeoffs:
compare lancaster with:
