City comparison
Albany, NY vs Brownsville, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Albany, NY are 15.8% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $115,800 in Albany, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,417 a month in Albany, NY versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Albany, NY and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Albany, NY than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.1% moving from Albany, NY to Brownsville, TX ($109,810 → $106,437), while prices change by −13.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.3% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | Brownsville, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 86.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,350 in Brownsville | $115,808 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $866/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $36,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Brownsville-Harlingen, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Brownsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 57.7 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 86.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
100 Strong offer
Brownsville, TX → Albany, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Brownsville, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Brownsville, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Brownsville, TX | Real change, Albany → Brownsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $61,722 | +12.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $74,678 | +12.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $89,508 | +12.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $106,437 | +12.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $125,776 | +12.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Brownsville, TX | Brownsville pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $63,350 | $73,364 (−7.4%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $106,990 | $123,903 (−3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $66,440 | $76,943 (−9.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $81,090 | $93,909 (−6.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.