City comparison
Albany, NY vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 3.8% higher than in Albany, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Albany, NY would need about $103,800 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,417 in Albany, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 23% in Albany, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,569 a year higher in Albany, NY than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.4% moving from Albany, NY to Phoenix, AZ ($109,810 → $111,338), while prices change by +3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,766 in Phoenix | $96,370 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,569/yr.
57 Fair offer
Phoenix, AZ → Albany, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$2,569/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Albany → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $64,564 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $78,117 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $93,629 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $111,338 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $131,568 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $59,180 | $57,032 (−28.0%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $131,750 | $126,968 (−0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $80,820 | $77,887 (−8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $100,830 | $97,170 (−2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.