City comparison
Houston, TX vs Spartanburg, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 8.3% higher than in Spartanburg, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Spartanburg, SC would need about $108,300 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 $1,083 in Spartanburg, SC. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 17% in Spartanburg, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Spartanburg, SC than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to Spartanburg, SC ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.1% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Spartanburg, SC: price level 91.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Spartanburg, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,317 in Spartanburg | $108,323 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,083/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $47,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Spartanburg, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 68.0 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Spartanburg, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
95 Strong offer
Spartanburg, SC → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
45 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Spartanburg, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Spartanburg, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Spartanburg, SC | Real change, Houston → Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $60,990 | $66,066 (+2.4%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $114,460 | $123,986 (−4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $77,080 | $83,495 (−1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $82,360 | $89,215 (−10.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.