City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 2.5% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $102,500 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 $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,790 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.6% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to Rochester, NY ($110,047 → $107,182), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (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
| Pittsburgh, PA | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,497 in Rochester | $97,564 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → Rochester, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,790/yr.
61 Fair offer
Rochester, NY → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,790/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | Rochester, NY | Real change, Pittsburgh → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $62,155 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $75,202 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $90,135 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $107,182 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $126,657 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $62,840 | $61,309 (−19.9%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $122,770 | $119,779 (−3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $80,890 | $78,919 (+2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $86,570 | $84,461 (+2.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.