City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs Utica, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in New Orleans, LA (92.6) and Utica, NY (92.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in New Orleans, LA goes as far as $100,100 in Utica, NY.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in New Orleans, LA versus $926 in Utica, NY. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in New Orleans, LA and 15% in Utica, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,246 a year higher in Utica, NY than in New Orleans, LA.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from New Orleans, LA to Utica, NY changes real buying power by −0.1%, purely from prices.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
- Utica, NY: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Orleans, LA | Utica, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 92.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,087 in Utica | $99,913 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $926/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $48,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Utica-Rome, NY MSA. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Utica-Rome, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Utica |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 66.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 131.9 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 92.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Utica, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,246/yr.
68 Fair offer
Utica, NY → New Orleans, LA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,246/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from New Orleans, LA to Utica, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Utica, NY | Real change, New Orleans → Utica |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Utica, NY | Utica pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $77,010 | $76,943 (+27.5%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $113,390 | $113,291 (+5.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $79,830 | $79,760 (+2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $94,300 | $94,218 (+15.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.