same $100k income, fresh start from Richmond
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 Richmond
You'd feel the difference in Lancaster. Not life-changing money, but real breathing room next to Richmond.
a quick ledger.
$1,517/mo
10% cheaper than Richmond(vs $1,691/mo)
3.07%
$223/mo less in state tax than Richmond
vs 5.75% in Richmond
$6,561/mo
$398 more than Richmond
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$384k
3% cheaper than Richmond
vs $394k in Richmond
559k
vs 1.4M in Richmond
field notes, weather & such.
158
pleasant days a year, in lancaster.
Richmond edges ahead with 172 pleasant days. A real winter, not a brutal one: 25 days under 20°, vs 9 in Richmond.
But the calendar thins out: Richmond stays 3.9× busier.
63/100
3% lower than Richmond
vs 65/100 in Richmond
Closest outdoor draw: Susquehanna Riverlands State Park, 18.3 mi.
97/100
41% higher than Richmond
vs 69/100 in Richmond
1
95% fewer than Richmond
vs 19 nonstops in Richmond
compare lancaster with:
