City comparison
Akron, OH vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 5.6% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $105,600 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Akron, OH than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.4% moving from Akron, OH to Houston, TX ($111,138 → $122,749), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.6% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,632 in Houston | $94,668 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
52 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Houston, TX | Real change, Akron → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $71,181 | +4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $86,123 | +4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $103,225 | +4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $122,749 | +4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $145,052 | +4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $64,500 | $61,061 (−22.3%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $129,440 | $122,538 (+16.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $85,090 | $80,553 (+2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $99,830 | $94,507 (+17.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.