City comparison
Austin, TX vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 2.1% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $102,100 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,382 in Springfield, MA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 22% in Springfield, MA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.7% moving from Austin, TX to Springfield, MA ($109,428 → $120,094), while prices change by −2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.0% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,955 in Springfield | $102,087 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Springfield, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
75 Strong offer
Springfield, MA → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Springfield, MA | Real change, Austin → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $69,642 | +12.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $84,260 | +12.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $100,992 | +12.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $120,094 | +12.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $141,915 | +12.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $79,640 | $81,302 (+32.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $127,740 | $130,406 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $92,010 | $93,930 (+13.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $98,410 | $100,464 (+2.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.