City comparison
Houston, TX vs North Port, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in North Port, FL are 3.8% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $103,800 in North Port, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,686 a month in North Port, FL versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in North Port, 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 North Port, FL ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −16.5% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- North Port, FL: price level 102.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | North Port, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 102.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,841 in North Port | $96,301 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,686/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% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $47,440 |
| 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 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | North Port |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 128.0 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 88.2 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 102.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → North Port, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
56 Fair offer
North Port, FL → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; North Port, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to North Port, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | North Port, FL | Real change, Houston → North Port |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −16.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −16.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −16.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −16.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −16.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | North Port, FL | North Port pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $62,370 | $60,063 (−6.9%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $131,890 | $127,012 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $81,090 | $78,091 (−8.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $86,130 | $82,944 (−16.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.