City comparison
Gulfport, MS vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 9.6% higher than in Gulfport, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Gulfport, MS would need about $109,600 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 $923 in Gulfport, MS. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, 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 Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Gulfport, MS to Houston, TX ($106,437 → $122,749), while prices change by +9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.2% in real buying power.
- Gulfport, MS: price level 90.0 (much 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
| Gulfport, MS | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,580 in Houston | $91,257 in Gulfport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $923/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,912 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,268 (MS) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,470 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Gulfport-Biloxi, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Gulfport-Biloxi, MS and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Gulfport | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.9 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 76.3 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Gulfport, MS → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,268/yr.
41 Weak offer
Houston, TX → Gulfport, MS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$3,268/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Gulfport, MS 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 Gulfport, MS to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Gulfport, MS | Houston, TX | Real change, Gulfport → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,181 | +5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $86,123 | +5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $103,225 | +5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $122,749 | +5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $145,052 | +5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Gulfport, MS | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Gulfport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,820 | $64,500 | $58,861 (+15.8%) |
| Software Developers | $104,240 | $129,440 | $118,123 (+13.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,380 | $85,090 | $77,651 (+1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,960 | $99,830 | $91,102 (+15.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.