City comparison
Houston, TX vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 14.1% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $114,100 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in New York, NY than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.2% moving from Houston, TX to New York, NY ($122,749 → $125,431), while prices change by +14.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.5% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,128 in New York | $87,621 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.4%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | New York, NY | Real change, Houston → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $72,737 | −10.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $88,005 | −10.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $105,481 | −10.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $125,431 | −10.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $148,222 | −10.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | New York, NY | New York pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $96,900 | $84,905 (+31.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $166,830 | $146,178 (+12.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $105,650 | $92,572 (+8.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $119,720 | $104,900 (+5.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.