City comparison
Tucson, AZ vs Utica, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 4.6% higher than in Utica, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Utica, NY would need about $104,600 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $926 in Utica, NY. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 15% in Utica, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,569 a year higher in Utica, NY than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.9% moving from Tucson, AZ to Utica, NY ($108,455 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.6% in real buying power.
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
- Utica, NY: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Tucson, AZ | Utica, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 92.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,647 in Utica | $104,551 in Tucson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,081/mo | $926/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,760 | $48,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Tucson-Nogales, AZ | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Tucson, AZ MSA and Utica-Rome, NY MSA. Metro areas: Tucson, AZ and Utica-Rome, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tucson | Utica |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 91.8 | 66.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 131.9 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 92.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tucson, AZ → Utica, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,569/yr.
83 Strong offer
Utica, NY → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,569/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tucson, AZ is in the Tucson-Nogales, AZ pay area; Utica, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Tucson, AZ to Utica, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tucson, AZ | Utica, NY | Real change, Tucson → Utica |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,893 | $61,722 | +2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,095 | $74,678 | +2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,205 | $89,508 | +2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,455 | $106,437 | +2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,162 | $125,776 | +2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tucson, AZ | Utica, NY | Utica pay in Tucson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,220 | $77,010 | $80,515 (+70.5%) |
| Software Developers | $123,710 | $113,390 | $118,551 (−4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $79,830 | $83,463 (+9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,110 | $94,300 | $98,592 (+4.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.