Utica, NY vs Phoenix, AZ
Moving from Utica to Phoenix? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($230,265 → $448,352 median home) and taxes.
Utica vs Phoenix at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Utica, NY, you'd need about $112,876 in Phoenix, AZ (+$12,876).
Livability — Utica, NY: 64 · Phoenix, AZ: 62 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 3,475 sqft in Utica vs 2,063 sqft in Phoenix ($144 vs $242 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Utica, NY | Phoenix, AZ | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $16,848 | $20,904 | +$4,056 |
| Groceries | $4,868 | $4,919 | +$51 |
| Transportation | $3,895 | $3,960 | +$65 |
| Utilities | $3,180 | $1,668 | −$1,512 |
| Insurance | $1,600 | $1,800 | +$200 |
| Taxes | $17,314 | $7,280 | −$10,034 |
| Total | $47,705 | $40,531 | −$7,174 |
Side by side
| Metric | Utica, NY | Phoenix, AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 92.7 | 104.7 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.37% | 4.88% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | -1.3% | 6.7% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 27 | 86 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.28 | $5.96 |
| Median home price | $230,265 | $448,352 |
| Home price ÷ income | 3.4× | 5.6× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 8.1% | -1.7% |
| Price per square foot | $144 | $242 |
| Median rent | $1,404 | $1,742 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 15.9% | 9.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.52% | 8.38% |
| Capital gains tax | 10.90% | 2.50% |
| Property tax rate | 2.26% | 0.51% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $7,800 | $6,300 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $17,000 | $12,500 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | 1.68% |
| Avg commute (min) | 21 | 27 |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,600 | $1,800 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $2,100 | $1,900 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $800 | $550 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 29.4 | 15.5 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.45 | 3.60 |
| Violent crime /100k | 350 | 430 |
| Avg summer high °F | 83 | 104 |
| Avg winter low °F | 16 | 41 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 5 | 2 |