City comparison
Longview, TX vs Syracuse, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Syracuse, NY are 7.0% higher than in Longview, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Longview, TX would need about $107,000 in Syracuse, NY to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,123 a month in Syracuse, NY versus $1,013 in Longview, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Syracuse, NY and 15% in Longview, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Syracuse, NY than in Longview, TX.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Longview, TX to Syracuse, NY changes real buying power by −6.5%, purely from prices.
- Longview, TX: price level 89.5 (much 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
| Longview, TX | Syracuse, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.5 | 95.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,992 in Syracuse | $93,465 in Longview |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,150 | $52,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Longview, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Syracuse, NY MSA. Metro areas: Longview, TX and Syracuse, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Longview | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 66.7 | 80.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 83.5 | 133.4 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 89.5 | 95.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Longview, TX → Syracuse, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
48 Fair offer
Syracuse, NY → Longview, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
91 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Longview, TX to Syracuse, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Longview, TX | Syracuse, NY | Real change, Longview → Syracuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Longview, TX | Syracuse, NY | Syracuse pay in Longview dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $98,560 | $108,270 | $101,194 (+2.7%) |
| Software Developers | $106,360 | $129,100 | $120,663 (+13.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,060 | $82,230 | $76,856 (+2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,330 | $86,960 | $81,277 (+1.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.