City comparison
Houston, TX vs Manchester, NH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 7.1% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $107,100 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,552 a month in Manchester, NH versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Manchester, NH and 20% in Houston, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.8% moving from Houston, TX to Manchester, NH ($122,749 → $120,548), while prices change by +7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Manchester, NH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 105.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,126 in Manchester | $93,348 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,552/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (NH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $56,530 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Manchester-Nashua, NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 134.2 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 97.7 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 133.5 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 103.7 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 105.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Manchester, NH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
48 Fair offer
Manchester, NH → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Manchester, NH is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Manchester, NH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Manchester, NH | Real change, Houston → Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $69,905 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $84,579 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $101,375 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $120,548 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $142,452 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Manchester, NH | Manchester pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $73,380 | $68,499 (+6.2%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $162,090 | $151,308 (+16.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $83,660 | $78,095 (−8.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $98,600 | $92,041 (−7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.