City comparison
Green Bay, WI vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 6.0% higher than in Green Bay, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Green Bay, WI would need about $106,000 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 $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,919 a year higher in Green Bay, WI than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Green Bay, WI to Houston, TX ($106,437 → $122,749), while prices change by +6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.8% in real buying power.
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (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
| Green Bay, WI | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,955 in Houston | $94,380 in Green Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $931/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,940 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Green Bay, WI and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Green Bay | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.7 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 90.0 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Green Bay, WI → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,919/yr.
51 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Green Bay, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$3,919/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Green Bay, WI 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 Green Bay, WI to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Green Bay, WI | Houston, TX | Real change, Green Bay → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,181 | +8.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $86,123 | +8.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $103,225 | +8.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $122,749 | +8.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $145,052 | +8.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Green Bay, WI | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Green Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,600 | $64,500 | $60,875 (+0.5%) |
| Software Developers | $103,160 | $129,440 | $122,165 (+18.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,720 | $85,090 | $80,308 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,700 | $99,830 | $94,220 (+11.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.