City comparison
College Station, TX vs El Paso, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in College Station, TX are 1.2% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $101,200 in College Station, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,082 a month in College Station, TX versus $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in College Station, TX and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- Both are in TX, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- 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 College Station, TX to El Paso, TX changes real buying power by +1.2%, purely from prices.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (much cheaper)
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| College Station, TX | El Paso, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 89.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,858 in El Paso | $101,156 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/mo | $1,013/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $39,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and El Paso, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | El Paso |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 71.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 82.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 89.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → El Paso, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
72 Strong offer
El Paso, TX → College Station, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
65 Fair 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 College Station, TX to El Paso, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | El Paso, TX | Real change, College Station → El Paso |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | El Paso, TX | El Paso pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,870 | $63,800 | $64,537 (+11.5%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $127,310 | $128,781 (+26.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $65,990 | $66,753 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $86,100 | $87,095 (+4.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.