City comparison
Houston, TX vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 5.6% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $105,600 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,323 a month in Houston, TX and $1,356 in Modesto, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.4% moving from Houston, TX to Modesto, CA ($122,749 → $133,060), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.7% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,555 in Modesto | $94,737 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,356/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
52 Fair offer
Modesto, CA → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Modesto, CA | Real change, Houston → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $77,161 | +2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $93,358 | +2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $111,896 | +2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $133,060 | +2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $157,236 | +2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $101,640 | $96,291 (+49.3%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $119,770 | $113,467 (−12.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $83,560 | $79,162 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $132,590 | $125,612 (+25.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.