City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 14.7% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $114,700 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 $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- Both are in TX, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Brownsville, TX to Houston, TX ($106,437 → $122,749), while prices change by +14.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.5% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (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
| Brownsville, TX | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,718 in Houston | $87,170 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Houston, TX → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.7%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX 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 Brownsville, TX to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Houston, TX | Real change, Brownsville → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,181 | +0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $86,123 | +0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $103,225 | +0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $122,749 | +0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $145,052 | +0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $64,500 | $56,225 (−11.2%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $129,440 | $112,833 (+5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $85,090 | $74,173 (+11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $99,830 | $87,022 (+7.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.