City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tulsa, OK are 3.8% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $103,800 in Tulsa, OK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $987 a month in Tulsa, OK versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Tulsa, OK and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,955 a year higher in Tulsa, OK 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 Tulsa, OK changes real buying power by −3.6%, purely from prices.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,767 in Tulsa | $96,369 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Tulsa, OK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,955/yr.
57 Fair offer
Tulsa, OK → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,955/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 Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Brownsville → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $48,220 | $46,469 (−26.6%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $108,730 | $104,782 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $81,320 | $78,368 (+18.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $84,790 | $81,712 (+0.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.