City comparison
Rochester, NY vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 19.1% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $119,100 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +24.1% moving from Rochester, NY to San Francisco, CA ($107,182 → $133,060), while prices change by +19.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.2% in real buying power.
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Rochester, NY | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,146 in San Francisco | $83,931 in Rochester |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,256/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,210 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Rochester, NY MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Rochester, NY and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Rochester | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.5 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 133.2 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Rochester, NY → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.1%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Rochester, NY is in the Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Rochester, NY to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Rochester, NY | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Rochester → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,155 | $77,161 | +4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,202 | $93,358 | +4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,135 | $111,896 | +4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,182 | $133,060 | +4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,657 | $157,236 | +4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Rochester, NY | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Rochester dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,840 | $101,860 | $85,492 (+36.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,770 | $186,640 | $156,649 (+27.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,890 | $110,730 | $92,937 (+14.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,570 | $186,610 | $156,623 (+80.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.