City comparison
Longview, TX 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 5.8% higher than in Longview, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Longview, TX would need about $105,800 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 $1,013 in Longview, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 15% in Longview, TX.
- Both are in TX, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Longview, TX to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by +5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Longview, TX: price level 89.5 (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
| Longview, TX | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.5 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,846 in San Antonio | $94,477 in Longview |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,150 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Longview, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Longview, TX and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Longview | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 66.7 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.5 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 89.5 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Longview, TX → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
51 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Longview, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Longview, TX 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 Longview, TX to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Longview, TX | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Longview → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Longview, TX | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Longview dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $61,720 | $58,311 (−3.2%) |
| Software Developers | $106,360 | $128,430 | $121,337 (+14.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,060 | $78,650 | $74,306 (−1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,330 | $94,370 | $89,158 (+11.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.