Real Dollar Value
Pennsylvania stretches $100 further
A national-average $100 buys about $104.78 of local goods and services in Pennsylvania, compared with $95.55 in Massachusetts.
Purchasing Power of $100 Comparison
Income
Massachusetts vs Pennsylvania: Purchasing Power of $100
$100 goes further in Pennsylvania: about $104.78 in local buying power versus $95.55 in Massachusetts, a $9.23 gap.
Massachusetts
MA • Northeast
$95.55
Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.
Pennsylvania
PA • Northeast
$104.78
Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.
Visual Comparison
Massachusetts
$95.55
Pennsylvania
$104.78
Difference: $9 — Pennsylvania leads.
Safety Context
Economic and demographic factors behind the violent crime rate difference.
Safety
BEA Price Index
Pennsylvania has the lower official price level
BEA Regional Price Parity is lower in Pennsylvania (97.4) than in Massachusetts (110.4), which is why the same cash buys more there.
View detailed comparisonIncome Check
Massachusetts has the higher median income
Purchasing power does not replace income. Massachusetts has a median household income of $96,505, versus $72,627 in Pennsylvania.
View detailed comparisonLiving Costs
Pennsylvania also looks cheaper on the cost index
Pennsylvania's cost-of-living index is 101.7, compared with 148.8 in the other state.
View detailed comparisonRelated Pages
What This Means
Massachusetts vs Pennsylvania: Purchasing Power of $100 in context
Pennsylvania has a purchasing power of $100 of $104.78, compared with $95.55 in Massachusetts. Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.
Massachusetts
$95.55
Pennsylvania
$104.78
Difference
$9
People Also Ask
Massachusetts vs Pennsylvania Purchasing Power of $100 — Common Questions
Q What is Massachusetts's purchasing power of $100?
Massachusetts's purchasing power of $100 is $95.55.
Q What is Pennsylvania's purchasing power of $100?
Pennsylvania's purchasing power of $100 is $104.78.
Q Which state has a higher purchasing power of $100 — Massachusetts or Pennsylvania?
$100 goes further in Pennsylvania: about $104.78 in local buying power versus $95.55 in Massachusetts, a $9.23 gap.
More Comparisons: Massachusetts vs Pennsylvania
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.