City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Brownsville, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 21.5% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $121,500 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.6% moving from Baltimore, MD to Brownsville, TX ($121,785 → $106,437), while prices change by −17.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.2% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Baltimore, MD | Brownsville, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 86.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $82,283 in Brownsville | $121,532 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $866/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $36,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Brownsville-Harlingen, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Brownsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 57.7 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 86.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.5%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
100 Strong offer
Brownsville, TX → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Brownsville, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Brownsville, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Brownsville, TX | Real change, Baltimore → Brownsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $61,722 | +6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $74,678 | +6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $89,508 | +6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $106,437 | +6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $125,776 | +6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Brownsville, TX | Brownsville pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $63,350 | $76,990 (+0.8%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $106,990 | $130,027 (−6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $66,440 | $80,746 (−5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $81,090 | $98,550 (−1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.