City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Brownsville, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 22.6% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $122,600 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,243 a month in Anchorage, AK versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Anchorage, AK and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- 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 −11.6% moving from Anchorage, AK to Brownsville, TX ($120,348 → $106,437), while prices change by −18.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.4% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- 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
| Anchorage, AK | Brownsville, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 86.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $81,555 in Brownsville | $122,617 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $866/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% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $36,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Brownsville-Harlingen, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Brownsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 57.7 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 86.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.6%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Brownsville, TX → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Brownsville, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Brownsville, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Brownsville, TX | Real change, Anchorage → Brownsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $61,722 | +8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $74,678 | +8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $89,508 | +8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $106,437 | +8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $125,776 | +8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Brownsville, TX | Brownsville pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $121,710 | $97,210 | $119,196 (−2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $106,990 | $131,188 (+26.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $66,440 | $81,467 (−0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $81,090 | $99,430 (−13.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.