City comparison
Houston, TX vs Toledo, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 7.8% higher than in Toledo, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Toledo, OH would need about $107,800 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 $820 in Toledo, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 13% in Toledo, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Toledo, OH than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to Toledo, OH ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.5% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Toledo, OH: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Toledo, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 91.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,726 in Toledo | $107,844 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $820/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $48,220 |
| 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 Toledo, OH MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Toledo, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Toledo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 67.3 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 91.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Toledo, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
93 Strong offer
Toledo, OH → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Toledo, OH is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Toledo, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Toledo, OH | Real change, Houston → Toledo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Toledo, OH | Toledo pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $63,250 | $68,212 (+5.8%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $104,360 | $112,546 (−13.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $77,400 | $83,471 (−1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $81,050 | $87,408 (−12.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.