City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 8.6% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $108,600 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 $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Baton Rouge, LA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Houston, TX ($106,437 → $122,749), while prices change by +8.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.1% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,646 in Houston | $92,042 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
44 Weak offer
Houston, TX → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA 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 Baton Rouge, LA to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Houston, TX | Real change, Baton Rouge → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,181 | +6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $86,123 | +6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $103,225 | +6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $122,749 | +6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $145,052 | +6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $64,500 | $59,367 (+0.1%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $129,440 | $119,139 (+16.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $85,090 | $78,318 (+7.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $99,830 | $91,885 (+13.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.