City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 5.6% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $105,600 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 $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $293 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Augusta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Augusta, GA to Rochester, NY ($106,437 → $107,182), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.6% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much 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
| Augusta, GA | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,584 in Rochester | $94,711 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Rochester, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$293/yr.
52 Fair offer
Rochester, NY → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$293/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA 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 Augusta, GA to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Rochester, NY | Real change, Augusta → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,155 | −4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,202 | −4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,135 | −4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,182 | −4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,657 | −4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $62,840 | $59,517 (−5.5%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $122,770 | $116,277 (−2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $80,890 | $76,612 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $86,570 | $81,991 (−6.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.