City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 6.9% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $106,900 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in AK and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Anchorage, AK to Houston, TX ($120,348 → $122,749), while prices change by −6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.0% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- 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
| Anchorage, AK | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,558 in Houston | $106,885 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
90 Strong offer
Houston, TX → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Houston, TX | Real change, Anchorage → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $71,181 | +9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $86,123 | +9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $103,225 | +9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $122,749 | +9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $145,052 | +9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $64,500 | $68,941 (−13.0%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $129,440 | $138,352 (+33.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $85,090 | $90,949 (+10.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $99,830 | $106,704 (−7.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.