City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 7.3% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $107,300 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 $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Augusta, GA to Houston, TX ($106,437 → $122,749), while prices change by +7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.5% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much 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
| Augusta, GA | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,319 in Houston | $93,181 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
47 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Houston, TX | Real change, Augusta → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,181 | +7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $86,123 | +7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $103,225 | +7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $122,749 | +7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $145,052 | +7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $64,500 | $60,101 (−4.6%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $129,440 | $120,613 (+0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $85,090 | $79,287 (+3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $99,830 | $93,022 (+6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.