City comparison
Houston, TX vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Houston, TX (98.6) and Raleigh, NC (98.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Houston, TX goes as far as $99,500 in Raleigh, NC.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Raleigh, NC than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.5% moving from Houston, TX to Raleigh, NC ($122,749 → $111,147), while prices change by −0.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.0% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,521 in Raleigh | $100,481 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Raleigh, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
70 Fair offer
Raleigh, NC → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Raleigh, NC | Real change, Houston → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $64,453 | −9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $77,983 | −9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $93,468 | −9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $111,147 | −9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $131,342 | −9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $60,170 | $60,459 (−6.3%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $132,770 | $133,408 (+3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $81,950 | $82,344 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $84,830 | $85,238 (−14.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.