City comparison
Greeley, CO vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Greeley, CO are 1.6% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $101,600 in Greeley, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,238 in Greeley, CO. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 20% in Greeley, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Greeley, CO than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from Greeley, CO to Houston, TX ($118,675 → $122,749), while prices change by −1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- Greeley, CO: price level 100.2 (about average)
- 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
| Greeley, CO | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,456 in Houston | $101,569 in Greeley |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,238/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,070 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Greeley, CO MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Greeley, CO and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greeley | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.6 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greeley, CO → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
74 Strong offer
Houston, TX → Greeley, CO
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greeley, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Greeley, CO to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greeley, CO | Houston, TX | Real change, Greeley → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $71,181 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $86,123 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $103,225 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $122,749 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $145,052 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greeley, CO | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Greeley dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,160 | $64,500 | $65,512 (+8.9%) |
| Software Developers | $129,480 | $129,440 | $131,470 (+1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,240 | $85,090 | $86,425 (−0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,300 | $99,830 | $101,396 (+5.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.