At a glance
New York is 3.4% more expensive than Washington on BEA’s overall price index, but Washington has the higher median rent, by $197 a month.
Price parity is 112.6 in New York and 108.9 in Washington (U.S. = 100); median gross rent is $1,830 and $2,027 a month.
Price index and rent come from different surveys and describe metro averages; neither predicts a household’s own costs.
Sources: BLS wages (May 2025) · BEA price parity (2024) · Census ACS (2020–2024) · metro areas, not city limits · How we calculate
Cost of living: New York vs. Washington
Using 2024 BEA regional price parities, New York has an all-items metro price level about 3.4% higher than Washington relative to the same national benchmark. This is a ratio of broad price indexes, not a forecast of what a specific household would spend. Washington has a $197 higher reported monthly metro-wide median gross rent than New York. The metro with the higher broad price parity does not have the higher ACS rental median. That is why the index and rent should be examined separately.
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| Official metro indicator | New York | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| BEA 2024 all-items price parity | 112.6 | 108.9 |
| ACS 2020–2024 median gross rent / month | $1,830 | $2,027 |
| ACS gross-rent margin of error | ± $5 | ± $11 |
| ACS median household income (± MOE) | $99,155 ± $487 | $126,684 ± $733 |
| ACS 45+ minute commute share | 32.4% | 26.7% |
These figures cover the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan areas, not the named cities alone. ACS gross rent includes estimated utilities and is not an asking rent; sampling uncertainty means small gaps may not be meaningful.
What a salary in New York is worth in Washington
BEA’s 2024 all-items parity is 112.6 for New York and 108.9 for Washington, so matching on that index takes about 3.3% less gross pay in Washington than in New York. Twelve months of median gross rent is 22.1% of median household income in New York and 19.2% in Washington (renter rent over all-household income, so a rough contrast rather than a budget).
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| Gross pay in New York | Same index value in Washington | Gross pay in Washington | Same index value in New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $48,366 | $50,000 | $51,689 |
| $75,000 | $72,549 | $75,000 | $77,534 |
| $100,000 | $96,732 | $100,000 | $103,379 |
| $150,000 | $145,097 | $150,000 | $155,068 |
| $200,000 | $193,463 | $200,000 | $206,758 |
Equal index value is not equal take-home pay: taxes, benefits and housing choices differ.
Median gross rents differ by $197 a month ($2,364 over twelve months). That gap is already part of the price index, so do not subtract it again; use real quotes in the worksheet.
How do salaries differ between New York and Washington?
79 of 80 curated occupations have a reported annual median wage in both metros. The 12 examples below are the most common jobs in the smaller metro, not the highest- or lowest-paid.
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| BLS occupation | New York median | Washington median | New York adjusted | Washington adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | $157,000 | $156,460 | $139,477 | $143,694 |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $154,930 | $148,210 | $142,289 |
| Retail Salespersons | $38,280 | $36,610 | $34,008 | $33,623 |
| Management Analysts | $124,390 | $126,830 | $110,507 | $116,482 |
| Lawyers | $208,880 | $195,190 | $185,567 | $179,264 |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $102,710 | $106,358 | $94,330 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $102,140 | $93,859 | $93,806 |
| Office Clerks, General | $47,670 | $51,880 | $42,350 | $47,647 |
| Project Management Specialists | $126,660 | $127,030 | $112,524 | $116,665 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $51,440 | $53,660 | $45,699 | $49,282 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $49,590 | $46,220 | $44,055 | $42,449 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $79,470 | $86,085 | $72,986 |
The price-adjusted wage equals the BLS May 2025 annual occupational median × 100 ÷ the BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity. Census rent, household income and commuting figures are ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. They describe different populations and do not determine take-home pay, employment prospects or individual rent. ACS gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated utility and fuel costs.
What changes after adjusting wages for regional prices?
Among the 12 displayed, matched BLS occupations, 1 have a different leading metro for nominal versus price-adjusted median wages, and 11 keep the same leader. Adjusted values divide each median by the metro’s BEA parity; they are not tax-adjusted.
Where the price-adjusted gap is largest
Across the 79 occupations with a reported median in both metros, New York has the higher price-adjusted median in 41 and Washington in 38. For the typical occupation (the median of the occupation-by-occupation differences), the adjusted median in New York is 0.1% higher than in Washington.
The table lists the eight occupations with the largest percentage differences, in either direction. A large gap can reflect a small local employer base, so check the career page before drawing conclusions.
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| BLS occupation | New York adjusted | Washington adjusted | Higher in | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Financial Advisors | $151,071 | $97,563 | New York | 54.8% |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | $84,442 | $56,629 | New York | 49.1% |
| Web Developers | $93,121 | $123,388 | Washington | 32.5% |
| Construction Laborers | $54,432 | $43,560 | New York | 25.0% |
| Public Relations Specialists | $74,740 | $93,384 | Washington | 24.9% |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $93,761 | $77,146 | New York | 21.5% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $89,550 | $73,748 | New York | 21.4% |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $85,730 | $71,039 | New York | 20.7% |
Difference is the gap relative to the lower of the two adjusted medians.
Which jobs are more common in New York or Washington
Raw employment counts mostly track metro size. To compare, this table divides BLS estimated employment by ACS commuting workers (jobs per 10,000 commuters). Of the 77 occupations with at least 1,000 estimated workers in both metros, these are the most over-represented in each.
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| BLS occupation | New York per 10,000 | Washington per 10,000 | More common in | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 78.3 | 31.0 | New York | 2.5× |
| Web and Digital Interface Designers | 19.0 | 7.6 | New York | 2.5× |
| Healthcare Social Workers | 21.8 | 8.9 | New York | 2.5× |
| Information Security Analysts | 14.3 | 66.4 | Washington | 4.6× |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | 2.9 | 10.8 | Washington | 3.7× |
| Technical Writers | 2.7 | 9.5 | Washington | 3.5× |
A rough size scaling, not a formal location quotient. Employment estimates are not job openings.
Investigate a specific career before deciding
Open the dashboard with a role and both metros already selected. Amounts you enter stay in your browser.
Moving between New York and Washington: what should you check?
The checklist works in either direction. Get written offers and current rent quotes for the neighborhoods you would consider; metro medians are not listings. The full offer checklist covers taxes, benefits and one-time costs.