City comparison
Cincinnati, OH vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 1.7% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $101,700 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 $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,892 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.3% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Rochester, NY ($110,865 → $107,182), while prices change by +1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (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
| Cincinnati, OH | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,746 in Rochester | $98,284 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Rochester, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,892/yr.
63 Fair offer
Rochester, NY → Cincinnati, OH
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,892/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Rochester, NY | Real change, Cincinnati → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $62,155 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $75,202 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $90,135 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $107,182 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $126,657 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $62,840 | $61,762 (−4.6%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $122,770 | $120,663 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $80,890 | $79,502 (−1.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $86,570 | $85,085 (+1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.