City comparison
Baltimore, MD 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 7.7% higher than in Baltimore, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Baltimore, MD would need about $107,700 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 $1,511 in Baltimore, MD. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 24% in Baltimore, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $473 a year higher in New York, NY than in Baltimore, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.0% moving from Baltimore, MD to New York, NY ($121,785 → $125,431), while prices change by +7.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.4% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (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
| Baltimore, MD | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,729 in New York | $92,825 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.2%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$473/yr.
20 Weak offer
New York, NY → Baltimore, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$473/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | New York, NY | Real change, Baltimore → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $72,737 | −4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $88,005 | −4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $105,481 | −4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $125,431 | −4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $148,222 | −4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | New York, NY | New York pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $96,900 | $89,948 (+17.7%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $166,830 | $154,861 (+11.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $105,650 | $98,070 (+15.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $119,720 | $111,131 (+11.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.