City comparison
Roanoke, VA vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 3.6% higher than in Roanoke, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Roanoke, VA would need about $103,600 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 $1,053 in Roanoke, VA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 17% in Roanoke, VA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,936 a year in VA and $4,860 in NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Roanoke, VA to Rochester, NY ($106,437 → $107,182), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Roanoke, VA: price level 93.6 (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
| Roanoke, VA | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,650 in Rochester | $96,479 in Roanoke |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,053/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,244 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,936 (VA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,140 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Roanoke, VA HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Roanoke, VA and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Roanoke | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.5 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 96.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 88.9 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Roanoke, VA → Rochester, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$76/yr.
58 Fair offer
Rochester, NY → Roanoke, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$76/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Roanoke, VA 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 Roanoke, VA to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Roanoke, VA | Rochester, NY | Real change, Roanoke → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,155 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,202 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,135 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,182 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,657 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Roanoke, VA | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Roanoke dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,010 | $62,840 | $60,627 (−2.2%) |
| Software Developers | $121,110 | $122,770 | $118,447 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,240 | $80,890 | $78,042 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,090 | $86,570 | $83,522 (+4.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.