City comparison
Lubbock, TX vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 6.1% higher than in Lubbock, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Lubbock, TX would need about $106,100 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $990 in Lubbock, TX. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 15% in Lubbock, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Tucson, AZ than in Lubbock, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Lubbock, TX to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by +6.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.0% in real buying power.
- Lubbock, TX: price level 91.3 (much cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lubbock, TX | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.3 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,109 in Tucson | $94,242 in Lubbock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $990/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,130 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Lubbock, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Lubbock, TX and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lubbock | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.4 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 82.8 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 91.3 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lubbock, TX → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
51 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → Lubbock, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lubbock, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Lubbock, TX to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lubbock, TX | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Lubbock → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | −4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | −4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | −4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | −4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | −4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lubbock, TX | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Lubbock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,220 | $47,220 | $44,501 (−24.9%) |
| Software Developers | $115,190 | $123,710 | $116,587 (+1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,390 | $76,320 | $71,926 (−3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,480 | $94,110 | $88,691 (+8.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.