City comparison
Austin, TX vs Minneapolis, MN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Minneapolis, MN are 6.9% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $106,900 in Minneapolis, MN to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,405 in Minneapolis, MN. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 23% in Minneapolis, MN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,277 a year higher in Minneapolis, MN than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.0% moving from Austin, TX to Minneapolis, MN ($109,428 → $116,038), while prices change by +6.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.8% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Minneapolis, MN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 104.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,889 in Minneapolis | $93,555 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,405/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,903 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,277 (MN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $59,320 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 111.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 103.1 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 93.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 104.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Minneapolis, MN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$5,277/yr.
49 Fair offer
Minneapolis, MN → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,277/yr.
90 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Minneapolis, MN is in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Minneapolis, MN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Minneapolis, MN | Real change, Austin → Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $67,290 | −0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $81,415 | −0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $97,582 | −0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $116,038 | −0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $137,123 | −0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Minneapolis, MN | Minneapolis pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $134,100 | $130,710 | $122,285 (−8.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $130,920 | $122,482 (−8.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $86,500 | $80,925 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $103,040 | $96,399 (−1.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.