City comparison
Austin, TX vs Boise City, ID
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Austin, TX (98.1) and Boise City, ID (98.4, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Austin, TX goes as far as $100,300 in Boise City, ID.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,381 in Boise City, ID. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 22% in Boise City, ID.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,192 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.7% moving from Austin, TX to Boise City, ID ($109,428 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.1% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Boise City, ID | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 98.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,331 in Boise City | $99,670 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,381/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,988 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,192 (ID) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $49,100 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Boise City, ID.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Boise City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 105.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 70.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 98.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Boise City, ID
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$4,192/yr.
68 Fair offer
Boise City, ID → Austin, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,192/yr.
70 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Boise City, ID is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Boise City, ID at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Boise City, ID | Real change, Austin → Boise City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $61,722 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $74,678 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $89,508 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $106,437 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $125,776 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Boise City, ID | Boise City pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $61,230 | $61,028 (−0.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $131,590 | $131,155 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $76,700 | $76,447 (−8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $97,880 | $97,557 (−0.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.