City comparison
Albany, NY vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Albany, NY are 2.8% higher than in Tucson, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Tucson, AZ would need about $102,800 in Albany, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,417 a month in Albany, NY versus $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Albany, NY and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,569 a year higher in Albany, NY than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.2% moving from Albany, NY to Tucson, AZ ($109,810 → $108,455), while prices change by −2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.5% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,318 in Tucson | $102,756 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $1,081/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Tucson, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,569/yr.
77 Strong offer
Tucson, AZ → Albany, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$2,569/yr.
60 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Albany → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $62,893 | +1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $76,095 | +1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $91,205 | +1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $108,455 | +1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $128,162 | +1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $103,890 | $102,260 | $105,078 (+1.1%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $123,710 | $127,119 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $76,320 | $78,423 (−7.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $94,110 | $96,703 (−3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.