City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Hagerstown, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hagerstown, MD are 9.5% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $109,500 in Hagerstown, MD to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $961 a month in Hagerstown, MD versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Hagerstown, MD and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.4% moving from Brownsville, TX to Hagerstown, MD ($106,437 → $121,785), while prices change by +9.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.5% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Hagerstown, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 94.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,533 in Hagerstown | $91,297 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $961/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 75.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 95.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 94.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
42 Weak offer
Hagerstown, MD → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.5%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Hagerstown, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Hagerstown, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Hagerstown, MD | Real change, Brownsville → Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,623 | +4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,447 | +4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,415 | +4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,785 | +4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,913 | +4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Hagerstown, MD | Hagerstown pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $63,190 | $57,690 (−8.9%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $122,830 | $112,140 (+4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $75,250 | $68,701 (+3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $92,770 | $84,696 (+4.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.