City comparison
Beaumont, TX vs College Station, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in College Station, TX are 1.0% higher than in Beaumont, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Beaumont, TX would need about $101,000 in College Station, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,082 a month in College Station, TX versus $898 in Beaumont, TX. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in College Station, TX and 14% in Beaumont, TX.
- Both are in TX, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- 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 College Station, TX changes real buying power by −1.0%, purely from prices.
- Beaumont, TX: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Beaumont, TX | College Station, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 91.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,005 in College Station | $99,005 in Beaumont |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,082/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,630 | $44,470 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA and College Station-Bryan, TX MSA. Metro areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX and College Station-Bryan, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Beaumont | College Station |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.9 | 75.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.1 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 91.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Beaumont, TX → College Station, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
66 Fair offer
College Station, TX → Beaumont, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
72 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 College Station, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Beaumont, TX | College Station, TX | Real change, Beaumont → College Station |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Beaumont, TX | College Station, TX | College Station pay in Beaumont dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,260 | $57,870 | $57,294 (−4.9%) |
| Software Developers | $124,470 | $101,910 | $100,896 (−18.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $71,810 | $71,095 (−7.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,180 | $83,090 | $82,263 (+1.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.