City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salem, OR are 20.6% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $120,600 in Salem, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,201 a month in Salem, OR versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Salem, OR and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $7,920 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.7% moving from Brownsville, TX to Salem, OR ($106,437 → $114,684), while prices change by +20.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.6% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,557 in Salem | $82,948 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Salem, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$7,920/yr.
38 Weak offer
Salem, OR → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.6%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$7,920/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Salem, OR | Real change, Brownsville → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $66,505 | −10.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $80,465 | −10.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $96,443 | −10.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $114,684 | −10.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $135,522 | −10.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $74,810 | $62,054 (−2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $131,620 | $109,176 (+2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $87,480 | $72,563 (+9.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $131,750 | $109,284 (+34.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.