City comparison
Houston, TX vs Syracuse, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 3.0% higher than in Syracuse, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Syracuse, NY would need about $103,000 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 $1,123 in Syracuse, NY. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 18% in Syracuse, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Syracuse, NY than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to Syracuse, NY ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.7% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Syracuse, NY: price level 95.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Syracuse, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 95.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,073 in Syracuse | $103,015 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $52,990 |
| 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 Syracuse, NY MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Syracuse, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 80.7 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 133.4 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 95.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Syracuse, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
78 Strong offer
Syracuse, NY → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Syracuse, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Syracuse, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Syracuse, NY | Real change, Houston → Syracuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −10.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −10.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −10.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −10.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −10.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Syracuse, NY | Syracuse pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $78,560 | $80,929 (+25.5%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $129,100 | $132,993 (+2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $82,230 | $84,710 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $86,960 | $89,582 (−10.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.