City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Shreveport, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 11.7% higher than in Shreveport, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Shreveport, LA would need about $111,700 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 $982 in Shreveport, LA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 15% in Shreveport, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Shreveport, LA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.4% moving from San Antonio, TX to Shreveport, LA ($108,001 → $106,437), while prices change by −10.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.1% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Shreveport, LA: price level 84.8 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Antonio, TX | Shreveport, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 84.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,495 in Shreveport | $111,738 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $44,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Shreveport-Bossier City, LA MSA. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Shreveport-Bossier City, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Shreveport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 52.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 72.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 84.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Shreveport, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
100 Strong offer
Shreveport, LA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Shreveport, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Shreveport, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Shreveport, LA | Real change, San Antonio → Shreveport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $61,722 | +10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $74,678 | +10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $89,508 | +10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $106,437 | +10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $125,776 | +10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Shreveport, LA | Shreveport pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $61,850 | $69,110 (+12.0%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $96,680 | $108,028 (−15.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $70,420 | $78,686 (+0.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $80,080 | $89,480 (−5.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.