City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 7.7% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $107,700 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $473 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Baltimore, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.0% moving from Baltimore, MD to Rochester, NY ($121,785 → $107,182), while prices change by −7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.2% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,868 in Rochester | $107,680 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,256/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$473/yr.
93 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$473/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Rochester, NY | Real change, Baltimore → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $62,155 | −5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $75,202 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $90,135 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $107,182 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $126,657 | −5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $62,840 | $67,666 (−11.4%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $122,770 | $132,198 (−4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $80,890 | $87,102 (+2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $86,570 | $93,218 (−6.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.