City comparison
Kingsport, TN vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 9.6% higher than in Kingsport, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Kingsport, TN would need about $109,600 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $818 in Kingsport, TN. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 12% in Kingsport, TN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TN and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Kingsport, TN to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by +9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.4% in real buying power.
- Kingsport, TN: price level 86.4 (much cheaper)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kingsport, TN | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.4 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,565 in San Antonio | $91,270 in Kingsport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $818/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 12% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,240 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kingsport | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 56.5 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 75.9 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 95.8 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 86.4 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kingsport, TN → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
41 Weak offer
San Antonio, TX → Kingsport, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kingsport, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Kingsport, TN to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kingsport, TN | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Kingsport → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | −7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | −7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | −7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | −7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | −7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kingsport, TN | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Kingsport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,130 | $61,720 | $56,332 (−3.1%) |
| Software Developers | $115,310 | $128,430 | $117,218 (+1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,940 | $78,650 | $71,784 (−5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $76,730 | $94,370 | $86,131 (+12.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.