City comparison
Lubbock, TX vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 6.3% higher than in Lubbock, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Lubbock, TX would need about $106,300 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 $990 in Lubbock, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 15% in Lubbock, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Lubbock, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Lubbock, TX to Rochester, NY ($106,437 → $107,182), while prices change by +6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.2% in real buying power.
- Lubbock, TX: price level 91.3 (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
| Lubbock, TX | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.3 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,262 in Rochester | $94,107 in Lubbock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $990/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 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,130 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Lubbock, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Lubbock, TX and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lubbock | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.4 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 82.8 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 91.3 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lubbock, TX → Rochester, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
50 Fair offer
Rochester, NY → Lubbock, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lubbock, TX 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 Lubbock, TX to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lubbock, TX | Rochester, NY | Real change, Lubbock → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,155 | −5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,202 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,135 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,182 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,657 | −5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lubbock, TX | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Lubbock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,220 | $62,840 | $59,137 (−0.1%) |
| Software Developers | $115,190 | $122,770 | $115,536 (+0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,390 | $80,890 | $76,123 (+2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,480 | $86,570 | $81,469 (−0.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.