City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 3.0% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $103,000 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $473 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.0% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Rochester, NY ($121,785 → $107,182), while prices change by +3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.6% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,041 in Rochester | $97,048 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Rochester, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$473/yr.
60 Fair offer
Rochester, NY → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$473/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Rochester, NY | Real change, Hagerstown → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $62,155 | −14.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $75,202 | −14.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $90,135 | −14.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $107,182 | −14.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $126,657 | −14.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $62,840 | $60,985 (−3.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $122,770 | $119,146 (−3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $80,890 | $78,503 (+4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $86,570 | $84,015 (−9.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.