City comparison
Port St. Lucie, FL vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 3.3% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $103,300 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Port St. Lucie, FL to Rochester, NY ($113,356 → $107,182), while prices change by −3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
- 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
| Port St. Lucie, FL | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,814 in Rochester | $103,291 in Port St. Lucie |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,467/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,490 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Port St. Lucie, FL MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Port St. Lucie, FL and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Port St. Lucie | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.6 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 87.0 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Port St. Lucie, FL → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
79 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Port St. Lucie, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Port St. Lucie, FL to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Rochester, NY | Real change, Port St. Lucie → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $62,155 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $75,202 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $90,135 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $107,182 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $126,657 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Port St. Lucie dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $53,610 | $62,840 | $64,908 (+21.1%) |
| Software Developers | $128,510 | $122,770 | $126,810 (−1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,430 | $80,890 | $83,552 (+5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,090 | $86,570 | $89,419 (+8.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.