City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 17.5% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $117,500 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.4% moving from Brownsville, TX to Reno, NV ($106,437 → $106,855), while prices change by +17.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.6% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,492 in Reno | $85,112 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Reno, NV → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.5%; 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; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Reno, NV | Real change, Brownsville → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,965 | −14.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,972 | −14.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,859 | −14.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,855 | −14.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,271 | −14.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $62,430 | $53,135 (−16.1%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $125,710 | $106,994 (+0.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $82,370 | $70,107 (+5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $107,520 | $91,512 (+12.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.