on $100k a year, leaving Melbourne
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 Melbourne, every month
A near-tie on cost. What separates Lancaster is the life around the numbers.
a quick ledger.
$1,517/mo
20% cheaper than Melbourne(vs $1,895/mo)
3.07%
$256/mo more in state tax than Melbourne
vs 0% in Melbourne
$6,561/mo
$123 more than Melbourne
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$384k
9% more expensive than Melbourne
vs $351k in Melbourne
559k
vs 644k in Melbourne
field notes, weather & such.
158
pleasant days a year, in lancaster.
Melbourne gets 254 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. Winter has bite, though: 25 days drop below 20° vs Melbourne's 0.
63/100
15% higher than Melbourne
vs 55/100 in Melbourne
Closest outdoor draw: Susquehanna Riverlands State Park, 18.3 mi.
97/100
15% higher than Melbourne
vs 84/100 in Melbourne
1
50% fewer than Melbourne
vs 2 nonstops in Melbourne
same energy as lancaster, different zip code:
compare lancaster with:
