City comparison
Crestview, FL vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Crestview, FL (97.0) and Rochester, NY (97.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Crestview, FL goes as far as $100,000 in Rochester, NY.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Crestview, FL versus $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Crestview, FL and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Crestview, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Crestview, FL to Rochester, NY ($106,437 → $107,182), while prices change by +0.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Crestview, FL: price level 97.0 (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
| Crestview, FL | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,004 in Rochester | $99,996 in Crestview |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,510 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Crestview | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.9 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Crestview, FL → Rochester, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −0.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
69 Fair offer
Rochester, NY → Crestview, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Crestview, FL 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 Crestview, FL to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Crestview, FL | Rochester, NY | Real change, Crestview → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,155 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,202 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,135 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,182 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,657 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Crestview, FL | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Crestview dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,330 | $62,840 | $62,837 (+4.2%) |
| Software Developers | $130,640 | $122,770 | $122,765 (−6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,510 | $80,890 | $80,887 (+1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,260 | $86,570 | $86,566 (+6.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.