City comparison
Beaumont, TX vs Boise City, ID
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boise City, ID are 9.3% higher than in Beaumont, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Beaumont, TX would need about $109,300 in Boise City, ID to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $898 in Beaumont, TX. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 14% in Beaumont, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,192 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in Beaumont, 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 Beaumont, TX to Boise City, ID changes real buying power by −8.5%, purely from prices.
- Beaumont, TX: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Beaumont, TX | Boise City, ID | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 98.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,267 in Boise City | $91,519 in Beaumont |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/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 | 14% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,630 | $49,100 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA and Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX and Boise City, ID.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Beaumont | Boise City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.9 | 105.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.1 | 70.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 98.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Beaumont, TX → Boise City, ID
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$4,192/yr.
42 Weak offer
Boise City, ID → Beaumont, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$4,192/yr.
98 Strong 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 Beaumont, TX to Boise City, ID at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Beaumont, TX | Boise City, ID | Real change, Beaumont → Boise City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Beaumont, TX | Boise City, ID | Boise City pay in Beaumont dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,260 | $61,230 | $56,037 (−7.0%) |
| Software Developers | $124,470 | $131,590 | $120,429 (−3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $76,700 | $70,195 (−8.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,180 | $97,880 | $89,578 (+10.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.