City comparison
Beaumont, TX vs Charlotte, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Charlotte, NC are 8.1% higher than in Beaumont, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Beaumont, TX would need about $108,100 in Charlotte, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC versus $898 in Beaumont, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 14% in Beaumont, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Charlotte, NC than in Beaumont, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.2% moving from Beaumont, TX to Charlotte, NC ($106,437 → $108,810), while prices change by +8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.4% in real buying power.
- Beaumont, TX: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Beaumont, TX | Charlotte, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,109 in Charlotte | $92,499 in Beaumont |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,538/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,630 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Beaumont | Charlotte |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.9 | 97.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 83.1 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Beaumont, TX → Charlotte, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
45 Fair offer
Charlotte, NC → Beaumont, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Beaumont, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Charlotte, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Beaumont, TX to Charlotte, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Beaumont, TX | Charlotte, NC | Real change, Beaumont → Charlotte |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,098 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,343 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,503 | −5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,810 | −5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,581 | −5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Beaumont, TX | Charlotte, NC | Charlotte pay in Beaumont dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,260 | $58,680 | $54,278 (−9.9%) |
| Software Developers | $124,470 | $135,920 | $125,725 (+1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $92,910 | $85,941 (+12.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,180 | $90,620 | $83,823 (+3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.