City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 9.7% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $109,700 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,095 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.6% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Phoenix, AZ ($121,785 → $111,338), while prices change by +9.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −16.7% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hagerstown, MD | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,711 in Phoenix | $91,149 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,095/yr.
41 Weak offer
Phoenix, AZ → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,095/yr.
99 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Hagerstown → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $64,564 | −16.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $78,117 | −16.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $93,629 | −16.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $111,338 | −16.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $131,568 | −16.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | not published | $130,360 | — |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $131,750 | $120,088 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $80,820 | $73,666 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $100,830 | $91,905 (−0.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.