City comparison
Rochester, NY vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 2.4% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $102,400 in Rochester, NY to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,256 a month in Rochester, NY versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.8% moving from Rochester, NY to San Antonio, TX ($107,182 → $108,001), while prices change by −2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.2% in real buying power.
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Rochester, NY | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,610 in San Antonio | $102,448 in Rochester |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,256/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,210 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Rochester, NY MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Rochester, NY and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Rochester | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.5 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 133.2 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Rochester, NY → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
76 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Rochester, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Rochester, NY is in the Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Rochester, NY to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Rochester, NY | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Rochester → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,155 | $62,629 | +3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,202 | $75,776 | +3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,135 | $90,823 | +3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,182 | $108,001 | +3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,657 | $127,624 | +3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Rochester, NY | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Rochester dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,840 | $61,720 | $63,231 (+0.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,770 | $128,430 | $131,574 (+7.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,890 | $78,650 | $80,576 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,570 | $94,370 | $96,681 (+11.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.