City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 12.9% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $112,900 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 $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Brownsville, TX to Rochester, NY ($106,437 → $107,182), while prices change by +12.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.8% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (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
| Brownsville, TX | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,864 in Rochester | $88,602 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/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 | 13% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Rochester, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
38 Weak offer
Rochester, NY → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.9%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX 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 Brownsville, TX to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Rochester, NY | Real change, Brownsville → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,155 | −10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,202 | −10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,135 | −10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,182 | −10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,657 | −10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $62,840 | $55,678 (−12.1%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $122,770 | $108,777 (+1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $80,890 | $71,670 (+7.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $86,570 | $76,703 (−5.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.