City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Jacksonville, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Jacksonville, FL are 5.6% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $105,600 in Jacksonville, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Jacksonville, FL versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 21% of take-home pay in Jacksonville, FL and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Jacksonville, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.6% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Jacksonville, FL ($121,785 → $106,437), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.3% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
- Jacksonville, FL: price level 99.5 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hagerstown, MD | Jacksonville, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 99.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,642 in Jacksonville | $94,659 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 21% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $48,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Jacksonville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Jacksonville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Jacksonville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 109.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 87.5 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 99.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Jacksonville, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
52 Fair offer
Jacksonville, FL → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Jacksonville, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Jacksonville, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Jacksonville, FL | Real change, Hagerstown → Jacksonville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $61,722 | −17.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $74,678 | −17.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $89,508 | −17.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $106,437 | −17.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $125,776 | −17.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Jacksonville, FL | Jacksonville pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $61,080 | $57,818 (−8.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $130,330 | $123,370 (+0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $79,960 | $75,690 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $83,520 | $79,060 (−14.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.