City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boise City, ID are 1.4% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $101,400 in Boise City, ID to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $668 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Boise City, ID.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Boise City, ID to Rochester, NY ($106,437 → $107,182), while prices change by −1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.1% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (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
| Boise City, ID | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,622 in Rochester | $101,397 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Rochester, NY
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$668/yr.
73 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Boise City, ID
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$668/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID 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 Boise City, ID to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Rochester, NY | Real change, Boise City → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,155 | +2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,202 | +2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,135 | +2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,182 | +2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,657 | +2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $62,840 | $63,718 (+4.1%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $122,770 | $124,486 (−5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $80,890 | $82,020 (+6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $86,570 | $87,780 (−10.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.