City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Huntsville, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Huntsville, AL are 8.3% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $108,300 in Huntsville, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.1% moving from Brownsville, TX to Huntsville, AL ($106,437 → $110,847), while prices change by +8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.8% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Huntsville, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,255 in Huntsville | $92,375 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,136/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $51,740 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Huntsville, AL MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Huntsville, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Huntsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 77.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 83.9 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Huntsville, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
45 Weak offer
Huntsville, AL → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Huntsville, AL is in Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Huntsville, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Huntsville, AL | Real change, Brownsville → Huntsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,279 | −3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,772 | −3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,216 | −3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $110,847 | −3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $130,987 | −3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Huntsville, AL | Huntsville pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $62,250 | $57,503 (−9.2%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $128,080 | $118,314 (+10.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $79,220 | $73,179 (+10.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $77,090 | $71,212 (−12.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.