City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Springfield, MA are 1.4% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $101,400 in Springfield, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.2% moving from San Antonio, TX to Springfield, MA ($108,001 → $120,094), while prices change by +1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.6% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Antonio, TX | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,420 in Springfield | $98,600 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Springfield, MA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
64 Fair offer
Springfield, MA → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Springfield, MA | Real change, San Antonio → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $69,642 | +9.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $84,260 | +9.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $100,992 | +9.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $120,094 | +9.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $141,915 | +9.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $79,640 | $78,525 (+27.2%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $127,740 | $125,951 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $92,010 | $90,722 (+15.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $98,410 | $97,032 (+2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.