City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Springfield, MA are 2.0% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $102,000 in Springfield, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $394 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.4% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Springfield, MA ($121,785 → $120,094), while prices change by +2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.3% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hagerstown, MD | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,007 in Springfield | $98,033 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Springfield, MA
Roughly even
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$394/yr.
63 Fair offer
Springfield, MA → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$394/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Springfield, MA | Real change, Hagerstown → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $69,642 | −3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $84,260 | −3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $100,992 | −3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $120,094 | −3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $141,915 | −3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $79,640 | $78,073 (+23.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $127,740 | $125,227 (+2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $92,010 | $90,200 (+19.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $98,410 | $96,474 (+4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.