City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Syracuse, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Syracuse, NY are 1.7% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $101,700 in Syracuse, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,123 a month in Syracuse, NY versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Syracuse, NY and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $473 a year higher in Syracuse, NY than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.6% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Syracuse, NY ($121,785 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.0% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
- Syracuse, NY: price level 95.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hagerstown, MD | Syracuse, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 95.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,668 in Syracuse | $98,359 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,123/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $52,990 |
| 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 Syracuse, NY MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Syracuse, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 80.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 133.4 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 95.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Syracuse, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$473/yr.
64 Fair offer
Syracuse, NY → Hagerstown, MD
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$473/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Syracuse, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Syracuse, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Syracuse, NY | Real change, Hagerstown → Syracuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $61,722 | −14.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $74,678 | −14.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $89,508 | −14.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $106,437 | −14.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $125,776 | −14.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Syracuse, NY | Syracuse pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $78,560 | $77,271 (+22.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $129,100 | $126,982 (+3.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $82,230 | $80,881 (+7.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $86,960 | $85,533 (−7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.