City comparison
Beaumont, TX vs Boston, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 20.2% higher than in Beaumont, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Beaumont, TX would need about $120,200 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $898 in Beaumont, TX. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 14% in Beaumont, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Beaumont, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Beaumont, TX to Boston, MA ($106,437 → $120,548), while prices change by +20.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.8% in real buying power.
- Beaumont, TX: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Beaumont, TX | Boston, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 108.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,234 in Boston | $83,171 in Beaumont |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $2,476/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,630 | $66,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA and Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Beaumont | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.9 | 148.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 83.1 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 103.6 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 108.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Beaumont, TX → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.8%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
15 Weak offer
Boston, MA → Beaumont, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Beaumont, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Boston, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Beaumont, TX to Boston, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Beaumont, TX | Boston, MA | Real change, Beaumont → Boston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,905 | −5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,579 | −5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $101,375 | −5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,548 | −5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $142,452 | −5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Beaumont, TX | Boston, MA | Boston pay in Beaumont dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,260 | $98,060 | $81,558 (+35.3%) |
| Software Developers | $124,470 | $166,090 | $138,139 (+11.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $100,150 | $83,296 (+8.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,180 | $106,180 | $88,311 (+8.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.