City comparison
Rochester, NY vs Savannah, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 1.9% higher than in Savannah, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Savannah, GA would need about $101,900 in Rochester, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $293 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Savannah, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.7% moving from Rochester, NY to Savannah, GA ($107,182 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.2% in real buying power.
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Rochester, NY | Savannah, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 95.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,115 in Savannah | $101,921 in Rochester |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,256/mo | $1,533/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,210 | $47,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Rochester, NY MSA and Savannah, GA MSA. Metro areas: Rochester, NY and Savannah, GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Rochester | Savannah |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.5 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 133.2 | 88.6 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 95.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Rochester, NY → Savannah, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$293/yr.
75 Strong offer
Savannah, GA → Rochester, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$293/yr.
63 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Rochester, NY is in the Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY pay area; Savannah, GA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Rochester, NY to Savannah, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Rochester, NY | Savannah, GA | Real change, Rochester → Savannah |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,155 | $61,722 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,202 | $74,678 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,135 | $89,508 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,182 | $106,437 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,657 | $125,776 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Rochester, NY | Savannah, GA | Savannah pay in Rochester dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $105,860 | $102,630 | $104,602 (−1.2%) |
| Software Developers | $122,770 | $123,220 | $125,587 (+2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,890 | $79,790 | $81,323 (+0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,570 | $86,760 | $88,427 (+2.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.