City comparison
Houston, TX vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 4.8% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $104,800 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Phoenix, AZ than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Houston, TX to Phoenix, AZ ($122,749 → $111,338), while prices change by +4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.4% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,752 in Phoenix | $95,463 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
55 Fair offer
Phoenix, AZ → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Houston → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $64,564 | −13.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $78,117 | −13.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $93,629 | −13.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $111,338 | −13.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $131,568 | −13.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $59,180 | $56,495 (−12.4%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $131,750 | $125,773 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $80,820 | $77,154 (−9.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $100,830 | $96,256 (−3.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.