City comparison
Tucson, AZ vs Wichita, KS
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 8.9% higher than in Wichita, KS. Someone earning $100,000 in Wichita, KS would need about $108,900 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 $849 in Wichita, KS. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 14% in Wichita, KS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,489 a year higher in Wichita, KS than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.9% moving from Tucson, AZ to Wichita, KS ($108,455 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.9% in real buying power.
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
- Wichita, KS: price level 88.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Tucson, AZ | Wichita, KS | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 88.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,795 in Wichita | $108,938 in Tucson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,081/mo | $849/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $4,780 (KS) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,760 | $47,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Tucson-Nogales, AZ | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Tucson, AZ MSA and Wichita, KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Tucson, AZ and Wichita, KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tucson | Wichita |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 91.8 | 66.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 94.0 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 93.8 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 88.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tucson, AZ → Wichita, KS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,489/yr.
97 Strong offer
Wichita, KS → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,489/yr.
43 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tucson, AZ is in the Tucson-Nogales, AZ pay area; Wichita, KS is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Tucson, AZ to Wichita, KS at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tucson, AZ | Wichita, KS | Real change, Tucson → Wichita |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,893 | $61,722 | +6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,095 | $74,678 | +6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,205 | $89,508 | +6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,455 | $106,437 | +6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,162 | $125,776 | +6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tucson, AZ | Wichita, KS | Wichita pay in Tucson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,220 | $58,640 | $63,881 (+35.3%) |
| Software Developers | $123,710 | $105,980 | $115,453 (−6.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $79,270 | $86,355 (+13.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,110 | $76,540 | $83,381 (−11.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.