City comparison
Lubbock, TX vs Tallahassee, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tallahassee, FL are 2.8% higher than in Lubbock, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Lubbock, TX would need about $102,800 in Tallahassee, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,204 a month in Tallahassee, FL versus $990 in Lubbock, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Tallahassee, FL and 15% in Lubbock, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in FL.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Lubbock, TX to Tallahassee, FL changes real buying power by −2.8%, purely from prices.
- Lubbock, TX: price level 91.3 (much cheaper)
- Tallahassee, FL: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lubbock, TX | Tallahassee, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.3 | 93.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,849 in Tallahassee | $97,230 in Lubbock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $990/mo | $1,204/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,130 | $46,520 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lubbock, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Tallahassee, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lubbock, TX and Tallahassee, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lubbock | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.4 | 78.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 82.8 | 87.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 91.3 | 93.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lubbock, TX → Tallahassee, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
60 Fair offer
Tallahassee, FL → Lubbock, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Lubbock, TX to Tallahassee, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lubbock, TX | Tallahassee, FL | Real change, Lubbock → Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lubbock, TX | Tallahassee, FL | Tallahassee pay in Lubbock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,220 | $55,020 | $53,496 (−9.7%) |
| Software Developers | $115,190 | $121,800 | $118,426 (+2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,390 | $61,840 | $60,127 (−19.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,480 | $79,430 | $77,229 (−5.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.