City comparison
Houston, TX vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 12.9% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $112,900 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 $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Youngstown, OH than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.5% moving from Houston, TX to Youngstown, OH ($122,749 → $111,138), while prices change by −11.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.2% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,609 in Youngstown | $112,856 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $771/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% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.9%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
100 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Youngstown, OH | Real change, Houston → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $64,448 | +2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $77,977 | +2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $93,461 | +2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $111,138 | +2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $131,331 | +2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $72,560 | $81,888 (+27.0%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $107,990 | $121,873 (−5.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $73,080 | $82,475 (−3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $78,680 | $88,795 (−11.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.