City comparison
New York, NY vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 16.0% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $116,000 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 $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- Both are in NY, so estimated state income tax is the same: $4,860 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.5% moving from New York, NY to Rochester, NY ($125,431 → $107,182), while prices change by −13.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.9% in real buying power.
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
- 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
| New York, NY | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 112.6 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,205 in Rochester | $116,002 in New York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,655/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 43% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,430 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New York | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.6 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 127.0 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 105.8 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 112.6 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New York, NY → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.8%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
11 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New York, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from New York, NY to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New York, NY | Rochester, NY | Real change, New York → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,155 | −0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,202 | −0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,135 | −0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $107,182 | −0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $126,657 | −0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New York, NY | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in New York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $62,840 | $72,896 (−24.8%) |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $122,770 | $142,416 (−14.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $80,890 | $93,834 (−11.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $86,570 | $100,423 (−16.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.