City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 6.8% higher than in Anchorage, AK. Someone earning $100,000 in Anchorage, AK would need about $106,800 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in New York, NY than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.2% moving from Anchorage, AK to New York, NY ($120,348 → $125,431), while prices change by +6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.4% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,776 in New York | $93,654 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
22 Weak offer
New York, NY → Anchorage, AK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | New York, NY | Real change, Anchorage → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $72,737 | −2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $88,005 | −2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $105,481 | −2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $125,431 | −2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $148,222 | −2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | New York, NY | New York pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $96,900 | $90,751 (+14.5%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $166,830 | $156,243 (+50.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $105,650 | $98,946 (+20.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $119,720 | $112,123 (−2.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.