City comparison
Modesto, CA vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 8.1% higher than in Modesto, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Modesto, CA would need about $108,100 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,070 a year in CA and $4,860 in NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.7% moving from Modesto, CA to New York, NY ($133,060 → $125,431), while prices change by +8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.8% in real buying power.
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Modesto, CA | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.1 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,121 in New York | $92,489 in Modesto |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,356/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,610 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Modesto, CA MSA and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Modesto, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Modesto | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.5 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 152.3 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 104.1 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Modesto, CA → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
18 Weak offer
New York, NY → Modesto, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Modesto, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Modesto, CA to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Modesto, CA | New York, NY | Real change, Modesto → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $72,737 | −12.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $88,005 | −12.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $105,481 | −12.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $125,431 | −12.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $148,222 | −12.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Modesto, CA | New York, NY | New York pay in Modesto dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,640 | $96,900 | $89,622 (−11.8%) |
| Software Developers | $119,770 | $166,830 | $154,299 (+28.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,560 | $105,650 | $97,714 (+16.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $132,590 | $119,720 | $110,727 (−16.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.