City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Springfield, MA are 11.7% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $111,700 in Springfield, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Brownsville, TX to Springfield, MA ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by +11.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.0% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,731 in Springfield | $89,500 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Springfield, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
38 Weak offer
Springfield, MA → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.7%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Springfield, MA | Real change, Brownsville → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | +1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | +1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | +1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | +1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | +1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $79,640 | $71,278 (+12.5%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $127,740 | $114,328 (+6.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $92,010 | $82,349 (+23.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $98,410 | $88,077 (+8.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.