City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Little Rock, AR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Little Rock, AR are 3.9% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $103,900 in Little Rock, AR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $989 a month in Little Rock, AR versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Little Rock, AR and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,687 a year higher in Little Rock, AR than in Brownsville, 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 Brownsville, TX to Little Rock, AR changes real buying power by −3.8%, purely from prices.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Little Rock, AR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 89.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,942 in Little Rock | $96,208 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $989/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,493 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,687 (AR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $45,790 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 68.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 74.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 95.3 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 89.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Little Rock, AR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,687/yr.
57 Fair offer
Little Rock, AR → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,687/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 Brownsville, TX to Little Rock, AR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Little Rock, AR | Real change, Brownsville → Little Rock |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Little Rock, AR | Little Rock pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $58,580 | $56,358 (−11.0%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $104,070 | $100,123 (−6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $65,810 | $63,314 (−4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $81,070 | $77,996 (−3.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.