City comparison
Houston, TX vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 1.8% higher than in Tucson, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Tucson, AZ would need about $101,800 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 $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Tucson, AZ than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.6% moving from Houston, TX to Tucson, AZ ($122,749 → $108,455), while prices change by −1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.1% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,243 in Tucson | $101,789 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Tucson, AZ
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
74 Strong offer
Tucson, AZ → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Houston → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $62,893 | −10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $76,095 | −10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $91,205 | −10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $108,455 | −10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $128,162 | −10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $47,220 | $48,065 (−25.5%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $123,710 | $125,923 (−2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $76,320 | $77,685 (−8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $94,110 | $95,793 (−4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.