City comparison
Houston, TX vs Naples, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Naples, FL are 4.6% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $104,600 in Naples, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,797 a month in Naples, FL versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Naples, FL and 20% in Houston, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to Naples, FL ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by +4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.1% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Naples, FL: price level 103.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Naples, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,635 in Naples | $95,571 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,797/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $47,800 |
| 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 Naples-Marco Island, FL MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Naples-Marco Island, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Naples |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 129.4 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Naples, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
52 Fair offer
Naples, FL → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Naples, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Naples, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Naples, FL | Real change, Houston → Naples |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −17.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −17.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −17.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −17.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −17.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Naples, FL | Naples pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $60,470 | $57,792 (−10.4%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $130,730 | $124,940 (−3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $84,570 | $80,824 (−5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $93,330 | $89,196 (−10.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.