City comparison
Houston, TX vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 12.7% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $112,700 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 20% in Houston, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.5% moving from Houston, TX to Seattle, WA ($122,749 → $119,630), while prices change by +12.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.5% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,678 in Seattle | $88,749 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.3%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Seattle, WA | Real change, Houston → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $69,373 | −13.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $83,935 | −13.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $100,602 | −13.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $119,630 | −13.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $141,367 | −13.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $102,920 | $91,340 (+41.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $167,280 | $148,459 (+14.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $99,370 | $88,190 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $128,260 | $113,829 (+14.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.