City comparison
Beaumont, TX vs Cape Coral, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cape Coral, FL are 13.7% higher than in Beaumont, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Beaumont, TX would need about $113,700 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $898 in Beaumont, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 14% in Beaumont, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in FL.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Beaumont, TX to Cape Coral, FL changes real buying power by −12.0%, purely from prices.
- Beaumont, TX: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Beaumont, TX | Cape Coral, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 102.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,663 in Cape Coral | $87,979 in Beaumont |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,638/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,630 | $46,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA. Metro areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Beaumont | Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.9 | 125.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.1 | 86.9 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 102.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Beaumont, TX → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Cape Coral, FL → Beaumont, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Beaumont, TX to Cape Coral, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Beaumont, TX | Cape Coral, FL | Real change, Beaumont → Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −12.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −12.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −12.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −12.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −12.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Beaumont, TX | Cape Coral, FL | Cape Coral pay in Beaumont dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,260 | $60,470 | $53,201 (−11.7%) |
| Software Developers | $124,470 | $126,940 | $111,681 (−10.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $79,420 | $69,873 (−8.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,180 | $82,860 | $72,900 (−10.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.