City comparison
Austin, TX vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Austin, TX (98.1) and Houston, TX (98.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Austin, TX goes as far as $100,600 in Houston, TX.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 20% in Houston, TX.
- Both are in TX, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.2% moving from Austin, TX to Houston, TX ($109,428 → $122,749), while prices change by +0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.5% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- 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
| Austin, TX | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,574 in Houston | $99,429 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
67 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Austin, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Houston, TX | Real change, Austin → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $71,181 | +11.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $86,123 | +11.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $103,225 | +11.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $122,749 | +11.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $145,052 | +11.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $64,500 | $64,132 (+4.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $129,440 | $128,701 (−4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $85,090 | $84,604 (+1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $99,830 | $99,260 (+1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.