City comparison
Gainesville, FL vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 2.0% higher than in Gainesville, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Gainesville, FL would need about $102,000 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,246 in Gainesville, FL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 19% in Gainesville, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Gainesville, FL to Houston, TX ($106,437 → $122,749), while prices change by +2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.1% in real buying power.
- Gainesville, FL: price level 96.7 (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
| Gainesville, FL | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.7 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,960 in Houston | $98,078 in Gainesville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,246/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,020 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Gainesville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Gainesville, FL and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Gainesville | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.0 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 88.2 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 96.7 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Gainesville, FL → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
63 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Gainesville, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Gainesville, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Gainesville, FL to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Gainesville, FL | Houston, TX | Real change, Gainesville → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,181 | +13.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $86,123 | +13.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $103,225 | +13.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $122,749 | +13.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $145,052 | +13.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Gainesville, FL | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Gainesville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $56,430 | $64,500 | $63,260 (+12.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,950 | $129,440 | $126,952 (+3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,820 | $85,090 | $83,454 (+10.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,870 | $99,830 | $97,911 (+19.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.