City comparison
Little Rock, AR vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 26.0% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $126,000 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,172 a year higher in New York, NY than in Little Rock, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Little Rock, AR to New York, NY ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +26.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.4% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Little Rock, AR | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $125,960 in New York | $79,390 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.6%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$1,172/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +26.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,172/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Little Rock, AR is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Little Rock, AR to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | New York, NY | Real change, Little Rock → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | −6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | −6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | −6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | −6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | −6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | New York, NY | New York pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $96,900 | $76,929 (+31.3%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $166,830 | $132,447 (+27.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $105,650 | $83,876 (+27.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $119,720 | $95,046 (+17.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.