City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Gulfport, MS
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in El Paso, TX (89.9) and Gulfport, MS (90.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in El Paso, TX goes as far as $100,100 in Gulfport, MS.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,013 a month in El Paso, TX versus $923 in Gulfport, MS. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in El Paso, TX and 15% in Gulfport, MS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,268 a year higher in Gulfport, MS than in El Paso, 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 El Paso, TX to Gulfport, MS changes real buying power by −0.1%, purely from prices.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
- Gulfport, MS: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| El Paso, TX | Gulfport, MS | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 90.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,105 in Gulfport | $99,896 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $923/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,912 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,268 (MS) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $43,470 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Gulfport-Biloxi, MS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Gulfport-Biloxi, MS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Gulfport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 67.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 76.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.1 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 90.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Gulfport, MS
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$3,268/yr.
68 Fair offer
Gulfport, MS → El Paso, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,268/yr.
69 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 El Paso, TX to Gulfport, MS at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Gulfport, MS | Real change, El Paso → Gulfport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Gulfport, MS | Gulfport pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $50,820 | $50,767 (−20.4%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $104,240 | $104,131 (−18.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $76,380 | $76,300 (+15.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $78,960 | $78,878 (−8.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.