City comparison
Asheville, NC vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 2.2% higher than in Asheville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Asheville, NC would need about $102,200 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,429 a month in Asheville, NC versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Asheville, NC and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Asheville, NC than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Asheville, NC to Houston, TX ($106,437 → $122,749), while prices change by +2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.8% in real buying power.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (cheaper)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Asheville, NC | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,200 in Houston | $97,847 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,870 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
62 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Asheville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Asheville, NC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Asheville, NC to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | Houston, TX | Real change, Asheville → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,181 | +12.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $86,123 | +12.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $103,225 | +12.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $122,749 | +12.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $145,052 | +12.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $64,500 | $63,112 (+26.0%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $129,440 | $126,654 (−5.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $85,090 | $83,258 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $99,830 | $97,681 (+19.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.