City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Hagerstown, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hagerstown, MD are 3.7% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $103,700 in Hagerstown, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,064 a month in Baton Rouge, LA versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Baton Rouge, LA and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,773 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.4% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Hagerstown, MD ($106,437 → $121,785), while prices change by +3.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.3% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Baton Rouge, LA | Hagerstown, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 94.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,735 in Hagerstown | $96,399 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $961/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 75.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 95.7 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 94.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,773/yr.
57 Fair offer
Hagerstown, MD → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,773/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Hagerstown, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Hagerstown, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Hagerstown, MD | Real change, Baton Rouge → Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,623 | +10.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,447 | +10.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,415 | +10.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,785 | +10.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,913 | +10.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Hagerstown, MD | Hagerstown pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $63,190 | $60,915 (+2.7%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $122,830 | $118,407 (+16.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $75,250 | $72,540 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $92,770 | $89,429 (+10.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.