City comparison
Austin, TX vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 1.1% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $101,100 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.1% moving from Austin, TX to Rochester, NY ($109,428 → $107,182), while prices change by −1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.0% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- 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
| Austin, TX | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,949 in Rochester | $101,063 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Rochester, NY
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
72 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Austin, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Rochester, NY | Real change, Austin → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $62,155 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $75,202 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $90,135 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $107,182 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $126,657 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $62,840 | $63,508 (+3.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $122,770 | $124,074 (−7.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $80,890 | $81,749 (−1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $86,570 | $87,490 (−10.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.