City comparison
Providence, RI vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 4.9% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $104,900 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,402 a month in Providence, RI versus $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,712 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.1% moving from Providence, RI to Rochester, NY ($120,548 → $107,182), while prices change by −4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.7% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (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
| Providence, RI | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,345 in Rochester | $104,883 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (RI) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,712/yr.
84 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,712/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Providence, RI is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Providence, RI to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | Rochester, NY | Real change, Providence → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $62,155 | −6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $75,202 | −6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $90,135 | −6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $107,182 | −6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $126,657 | −6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Providence, RI | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $62,840 | $65,908 (−24.0%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $122,770 | $128,765 (−1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $80,890 | $84,840 (−10.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $86,570 | $90,797 (−9.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.