City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Utica, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Utica, NY are 3.1% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $103,100 in Utica, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,013 a month in El Paso, TX versus $926 in Utica, NY. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in El Paso, TX and 15% in Utica, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Utica, NY than in El Paso, TX.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from El Paso, TX to Utica, NY changes real buying power by −3.0%, purely from prices.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
- Utica, NY: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| El Paso, TX | Utica, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 92.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,076 in Utica | $97,015 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $926/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $48,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Utica-Rome, NY MSA. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Utica-Rome, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Utica |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 66.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 131.9 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 92.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Utica, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
59 Fair offer
Utica, NY → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from El Paso, TX to Utica, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Utica, NY | Real change, El Paso → Utica |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Utica, NY | Utica pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $77,010 | $74,712 (+17.1%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $113,390 | $110,006 (−13.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $79,830 | $77,447 (+17.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $94,300 | $91,486 (+6.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.