City comparison
Houston, TX vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 1.6% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $101,600 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.7% moving from Houston, TX to Rochester, NY ($122,749 → $107,182), while prices change by −1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.2% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (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
| Houston, TX | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,384 in Rochester | $101,643 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,256/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 | 20% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Rochester, NY
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
74 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Rochester, NY | Real change, Houston → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $62,155 | −11.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $75,202 | −11.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $90,135 | −11.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $107,182 | −11.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $126,657 | −11.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $62,840 | $63,872 (−1.0%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $122,770 | $124,787 (−3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $80,890 | $82,219 (−3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $86,570 | $87,992 (−11.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.