City comparison
Green Bay, WI vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 4.2% higher than in Green Bay, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Green Bay, WI would need about $104,200 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 $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $940 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Green Bay, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Green Bay, WI to Rochester, NY ($106,437 → $107,182), while prices change by +4.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.4% in real buying power.
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (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
| Green Bay, WI | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,242 in Rochester | $95,930 in Green Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $931/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,940 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Green Bay, WI and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Green Bay | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.7 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 90.0 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Green Bay, WI → Rochester, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$940/yr.
56 Fair offer
Rochester, NY → Green Bay, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$940/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Green Bay, WI 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 Green Bay, WI to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Green Bay, WI | Rochester, NY | Real change, Green Bay → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,155 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,202 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,135 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,182 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,657 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Green Bay, WI | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Green Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,600 | $62,840 | $60,283 (−0.5%) |
| Software Developers | $103,160 | $122,770 | $117,774 (+14.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,720 | $80,890 | $77,598 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,700 | $86,570 | $83,047 (−2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.