City comparison
Manchester, NH 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 6.5% higher than in Manchester, NH. Someone earning $100,000 in Manchester, NH would need about $106,500 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 $1,552 in Manchester, NH. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 24% in Manchester, NH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in New York, NY than in Manchester, NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.1% moving from Manchester, NH to New York, NY ($120,548 → $125,431), while prices change by +6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Manchester, NH | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.7 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,536 in New York | $93,865 in Manchester |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,552/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NH) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,530 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Manchester-Nashua, NH and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Manchester | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 134.2 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 97.7 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 133.5 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 103.7 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 105.7 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Manchester, NH → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
23 Weak offer
New York, NY → Manchester, NH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Manchester, NH is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Manchester, NH to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Manchester, NH | New York, NY | Real change, Manchester → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $72,737 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $88,005 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $105,481 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $125,431 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $148,222 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Manchester, NH | New York, NY | New York pay in Manchester dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $73,380 | $96,900 | $90,955 (+24.0%) |
| Software Developers | $162,090 | $166,830 | $156,595 (−3.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,660 | $105,650 | $99,168 (+18.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,600 | $119,720 | $112,375 (+14.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.