City comparison
Huntington, WV vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 9.7% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $109,700 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 $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $975 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Huntington, WV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Huntington, WV to Rochester, NY ($106,437 → $107,182), while prices change by +9.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.2% in real buying power.
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (much 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
| Huntington, WV | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.4 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,741 in Rochester | $91,124 in Huntington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $853/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,295 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,885 (WV) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,600 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntington | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 51.3 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 88.4 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntington, WV → Rochester, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$975/yr.
41 Weak offer
Rochester, NY → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$975/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntington, WV 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 Huntington, WV to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntington, WV | Rochester, NY | Real change, Huntington → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,155 | −8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,202 | −8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,135 | −8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,182 | −8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,657 | −8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntington, WV | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Huntington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,450 | $62,840 | $57,262 (−0.3%) |
| Software Developers | $110,780 | $122,770 | $111,873 (+1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,840 | $80,890 | $73,710 (+4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $86,570 | $78,886 (−2.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.