City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 4.7% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $104,700 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.8% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Houston, TX ($121,785 → $122,749), while prices change by +4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.8% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,734 in Houston | $95,480 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
55 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Houston, TX | Real change, Hagerstown → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $71,181 | −3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $86,123 | −3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $103,225 | −3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $122,749 | −3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $145,052 | −3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $64,500 | $61,585 (−2.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $129,440 | $123,589 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $85,090 | $81,244 (+8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $99,830 | $95,318 (+2.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.