City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Cincinnati, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cincinnati, OH are 10.9% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $110,900 in Cincinnati, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,051 a month in Cincinnati, OH versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Cincinnati, OH and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Cincinnati, OH than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.2% moving from Brownsville, TX to Cincinnati, OH ($106,437 → $110,865), while prices change by +10.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.1% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Cincinnati, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 95.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,928 in Cincinnati | $90,149 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,051/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $50,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Cincinnati |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 87.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 91.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 95.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
38 Weak offer
Cincinnati, OH → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.9%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Cincinnati, OH is in Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Cincinnati, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Cincinnati, OH | Real change, Brownsville → Cincinnati |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,290 | −6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,785 | −6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,231 | −6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $110,865 | −6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,009 | −6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Cincinnati, OH | Cincinnati pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $64,740 | $58,362 (−7.9%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $121,420 | $109,459 (+2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $80,640 | $72,696 (+9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $83,650 | $75,410 (−7.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.