City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Austin, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 7.5% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $107,500 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in AK and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.1% moving from Anchorage, AK to Austin, TX ($120,348 → $109,428), while prices change by −7.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 98.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,024 in Austin | $107,499 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,562/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $56,950 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 120.4 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 82.0 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 98.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
92 Strong offer
Austin, TX → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Austin, TX is in Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Austin, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Austin, TX | Real change, Anchorage → Austin |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $63,457 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $76,777 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $92,023 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $109,428 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $129,311 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Austin, TX | Austin pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $61,270 | $65,865 (−16.9%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $134,120 | $144,178 (+38.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $83,120 | $89,353 (+8.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $97,890 | $105,231 (−8.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.