City comparison
Houston, TX vs Worcester, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Worcester, MA are 3.9% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $103,900 in Worcester, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,599 a month in Worcester, MA versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Worcester, MA and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Worcester, MA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.8% moving from Houston, TX to Worcester, MA ($122,749 → $120,548), while prices change by +3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.5% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Worcester, MA: price level 102.5 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Worcester, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 102.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,948 in Worcester | $96,202 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,599/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $57,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Worcester, MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Worcester, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 113.0 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 155.2 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 102.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Worcester, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
56 Fair offer
Worcester, MA → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Worcester, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Worcester, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Worcester, MA | Real change, Houston → Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $69,905 | −5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $84,579 | −5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $101,375 | −5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $120,548 | −5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $142,452 | −5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Worcester, MA | Worcester pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $82,810 | $79,665 (+23.5%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $146,950 | $141,369 (+9.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $94,070 | $90,497 (+6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $100,240 | $96,433 (−3.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.