City comparison
Houston, TX vs Huntington, WV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 11.5% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $111,500 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 $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,885 a year higher in Huntington, WV than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to Huntington, WV ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by −10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.3% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Huntington, WV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 88.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,651 in Huntington | $111,544 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $853/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,295 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,885 (WV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $44,600 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Huntington |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 51.3 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 87.9 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 88.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,885/yr.
100 Strong offer
Huntington, WV → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,885/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Huntington, WV is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Huntington, WV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Huntington, WV | Real change, Houston → Huntington |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Huntington, WV | Huntington pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $57,450 | $64,082 (−0.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $110,780 | $123,568 (−4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $70,840 | $79,017 (−7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $81,010 | $90,361 (−9.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.