City comparison
Houston, TX vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 2.4% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $102,400 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 20% in Houston, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.9% moving from Houston, TX to Reno, NV ($122,749 → $106,855), while prices change by +2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.0% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,418 in Reno | $97,639 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
61 Fair offer
Reno, NV → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Reno, NV | Real change, Houston → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,965 | −15.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,972 | −15.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,859 | −15.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,855 | −15.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $126,271 | −15.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $62,430 | $60,956 (−5.5%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $125,710 | $122,742 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $82,370 | $80,425 (−5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $107,520 | $104,981 (+5.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.