City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 8.1% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $108,100 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,402 a month in Providence, RI versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,238 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Providence, RI ($121,785 → $120,548), while prices change by +8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.4% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hagerstown, MD | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,073 in Providence | $92,530 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,238/yr.
45 Fair offer
Providence, RI → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,238/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Providence, RI | Real change, Hagerstown → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $69,905 | −8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $84,579 | −8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $101,375 | −8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $120,548 | −8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $142,452 | −8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $86,720 | $80,242 (+27.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $130,690 | $120,928 (−1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $95,020 | $87,922 (+16.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $99,880 | $92,419 (−0.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.