City comparison
Canton, OH vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 10.3% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $110,300 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 13% in Canton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Canton, OH than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.4% moving from Canton, OH to Houston, TX ($111,138 → $122,749), while prices change by +10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.1% in real buying power.
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Canton, OH | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,316 in Houston | $90,649 in Canton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $846/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,810 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Canton | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.1 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 96.9 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Canton, OH → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
40 Weak offer
Houston, TX → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.3%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Canton, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Canton, OH | Houston, TX | Real change, Canton → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $71,181 | +0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $86,123 | +0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $103,225 | +0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $122,749 | +0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $145,052 | +0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Canton, OH | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Canton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,940 | $64,500 | $58,468 (−25.0%) |
| Software Developers | $105,500 | $129,440 | $117,336 (+11.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,170 | $85,090 | $77,133 (+6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,610 | $99,830 | $90,495 (+13.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.