City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 3.1% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $103,100 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $293 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.8% moving from Atlanta, GA to Rochester, NY ($112,556 → $107,182), while prices change by −3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,979 in Rochester | $103,115 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$293/yr.
78 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$293/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Rochester, NY | Real change, Atlanta → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,155 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $75,202 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $90,135 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $107,182 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $126,657 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $62,840 | $64,798 (−15.4%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $122,770 | $126,595 (−4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $80,890 | $83,410 (−2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $86,570 | $89,267 (−11.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.