City comparison
Houston, TX vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 1.2% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $101,200 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.2% moving from Houston, TX to Waterbury, CT ($122,749 → $125,431), while prices change by +1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.0% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,165 in Waterbury | $98,848 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Waterbury, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
65 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Houston → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $72,737 | +1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $88,005 | +1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $105,481 | +1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $125,431 | +1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $148,222 | +1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $79,640 | $78,723 (+22.1%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $131,290 | $129,778 (+0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $93,010 | $91,939 (+8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $101,690 | $100,519 (+0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.