City comparison
Houston, TX vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 4.2% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $104,200 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Pittsburgh, PA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.3% moving from Houston, TX to Pittsburgh, PA ($122,749 → $110,047), while prices change by −4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,987 in Pittsburgh | $104,181 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
82 Strong offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Houston → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $63,815 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $77,211 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $92,543 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $110,047 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $130,042 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $76,550 | $79,750 (+23.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $124,500 | $129,705 (+0.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $76,940 | $80,157 (−5.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $82,370 | $85,814 (−14.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.