City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 6.9% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $106,900 in Rochester, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,256 a month in Rochester, NY versus $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,246 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Rochester, NY ($106,437 → $107,182), while prices change by +6.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.8% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,890 in Rochester | $93,554 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Rochester, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,246/yr.
49 Fair offer
Rochester, NY → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,246/yr.
90 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Rochester, NY | Real change, Baton Rouge → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,155 | −5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,202 | −5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,135 | −5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,182 | −5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,657 | −5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $107,380 | $105,860 | $99,036 (−7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $122,770 | $114,856 (+12.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $80,890 | $75,676 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $86,570 | $80,990 (−0.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.