City comparison
Phoenix, AZ vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 6.5% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $106,500 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,569 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.7% moving from Phoenix, AZ to Rochester, NY ($111,338 → $107,182), while prices change by −6.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Phoenix, AZ | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,921 in Rochester | $106,473 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,569/yr.
89 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,569/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | Rochester, NY | Real change, Phoenix → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $62,155 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $75,202 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $90,135 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $107,182 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $126,657 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $62,840 | $66,908 (+13.1%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $122,770 | $130,717 (−0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $80,890 | $86,126 (+6.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $86,570 | $92,174 (−8.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.