City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Brownsville, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baton Rouge, LA are 5.6% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $105,600 in Baton Rouge, LA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,064 a month in Baton Rouge, LA versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Baton Rouge, LA and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Baton Rouge, LA than in Brownsville, TX.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Brownsville, TX changes real buying power by +5.6%, purely from prices.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Brownsville, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 86.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,707 in Brownsville | $105,589 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $866/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $36,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Brownsville-Harlingen, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Brownsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 57.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 86.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
86 Strong offer
Brownsville, TX → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Brownsville, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Brownsville, TX | Real change, Baton Rouge → Brownsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Brownsville, TX | Brownsville pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $63,350 | $66,891 (+12.8%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $106,990 | $112,969 (+10.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $66,440 | $70,153 (−4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $81,090 | $85,622 (+5.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.