$100k salary, packing up from Lexington
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 Lexington, every month
A near-tie on cost. What separates Lancaster is the life around the numbers.
a quick ledger.
$1,517/mo
2% more expensive than Lexington(vs $1,488/mo)
3.07%
$119/mo less in state tax than Lexington
vs 4.5% in Lexington
$6,561/mo
$91 more than Lexington
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$384k
18% more expensive than Lexington
vs $324k in Lexington
559k
vs 520k in Lexington
field notes, weather & such.
158
pleasant days a year, in lancaster.
Lexington has the edge here, logging 171 pleasant days a year.
Lexington hosts 2.8× more events.
63/100
5% higher than Lexington
vs 60/100 in Lexington
Closest outdoor draw: Susquehanna Riverlands State Park, 18.3 mi.
97/100
10% higher than Lexington
vs 88/100 in Lexington
1
92% fewer than Lexington
vs 13 nonstops in Lexington
neighbors of lancaster on the map of tradeoffs:
compare lancaster with:
