City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 6.8% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $106,800 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,805 a year in IL and $4,860 in NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.9% moving from Chicago, IL to Rochester, NY ($118,984 → $107,182), while prices change by −6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.8% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Chicago, IL | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,668 in Rochester | $106,760 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$55/yr.
90 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$55/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Rochester, NY | Real change, Chicago → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $62,155 | −3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $75,202 | −3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $90,135 | −3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $107,182 | −3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $126,657 | −3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $62,840 | $67,088 (−14.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $122,770 | $131,070 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $80,890 | $86,359 (+4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $86,570 | $92,423 (−8.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.