City comparison
Beaumont, TX vs Columbia, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Columbia, SC are 4.0% higher than in Beaumont, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Beaumont, TX would need about $104,000 in Columbia, SC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,164 a month in Columbia, SC versus $898 in Beaumont, TX. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Columbia, SC and 14% in Beaumont, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Columbia, SC than in Beaumont, TX.
- 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 Columbia, SC changes real buying power by −3.9%, purely from prices.
- Beaumont, TX: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Beaumont, TX | Columbia, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 93.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,016 in Columbia | $96,139 in Beaumont |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,164/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,630 | $46,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA and Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX and Columbia, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Beaumont | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.9 | 79.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 83.1 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 93.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Beaumont, TX → Columbia, SC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
57 Fair offer
Columbia, SC → Beaumont, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
81 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 Columbia, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Beaumont, TX | Columbia, SC | Real change, Beaumont → Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Beaumont, TX | Columbia, SC | Columbia pay in Beaumont dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,260 | $60,050 | $57,732 (−4.2%) |
| Software Developers | $124,470 | $123,380 | $118,617 (−4.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $69,210 | $66,538 (−13.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,180 | $81,920 | $78,757 (−3.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.