City comparison
Albany, NY vs Anchorage, AK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 5.9% higher than in Albany, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Albany, NY would need about $105,900 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,417 a month in Albany, NY versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Albany, NY and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Albany, NY than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.6% moving from Albany, NY to Anchorage, AK ($109,810 → $120,348), while prices change by +5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.5% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | Anchorage, AK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 105.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,880 in Anchorage | $94,447 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $1,243/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (AK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $60,200 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | State of Alaska |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Anchorage, AK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Anchorage |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 109.9 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 107.3 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 111.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 103.3 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 105.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
51 Fair offer
Anchorage, AK → Albany, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Anchorage, AK is in State of Alaska. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Anchorage, AK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Anchorage, AK | Real change, Albany → Anchorage |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $69,789 | +3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $84,439 | +3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $101,206 | +3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $120,348 | +3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $142,216 | +3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Anchorage, AK | Anchorage pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $79,270 | $74,868 (−5.5%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $104,030 | $98,253 (−23.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $82,150 | $77,588 (−8.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $115,290 | $108,888 (+8.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.