City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 12.7% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $112,700 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Tucson, AZ than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Brownsville, TX to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by +12.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.6% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,703 in Tucson | $88,729 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
38 Weak offer
Tucson, AZ → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.7%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Brownsville → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | −9.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | −9.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | −9.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | −9.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | −9.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $47,220 | $41,898 (−33.9%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $123,710 | $109,767 (+2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $76,320 | $67,718 (+1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $94,110 | $83,503 (+3.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.