City comparison
Greensboro, NC vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 6.2% higher than in Greensboro, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greensboro, NC would need about $106,200 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,213 in Greensboro, NC. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 19% in Greensboro, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Greensboro, NC than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Greensboro, NC to Houston, TX ($106,437 → $122,749), while prices change by +6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.6% in real buying power.
- Greensboro, NC: price level 92.9 (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
| Greensboro, NC | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.9 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,207 in Houston | $94,156 in Greensboro |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,570 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Greensboro-High Point, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Greensboro-High Point, NC and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greensboro | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.5 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 89.1 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 92.9 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greensboro, NC → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
50 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Greensboro, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greensboro, NC 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 Greensboro, NC to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greensboro, NC | Houston, TX | Real change, Greensboro → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,181 | +8.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $86,123 | +8.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $103,225 | +8.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $122,749 | +8.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $145,052 | +8.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greensboro, NC | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Greensboro dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,730 | $64,500 | $60,731 (+1.7%) |
| Software Developers | $125,190 | $129,440 | $121,875 (−2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,170 | $85,090 | $80,117 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,860 | $99,830 | $93,996 (+13.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.