City comparison
Beaumont, TX vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, ME are 13.1% higher than in Beaumont, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Beaumont, TX would need about $113,100 in Portland, ME to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $898 in Beaumont, TX. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 14% in Beaumont, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,654 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Beaumont, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Beaumont, TX to Portland, ME ($106,437 → $120,548), while prices change by +13.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.1% in real buying power.
- Beaumont, TX: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Beaumont, TX | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,118 in Portland | $88,403 in Beaumont |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,630 | $56,960 |
| 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 Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Beaumont | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.9 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 83.1 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Beaumont, TX → Portland, ME
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.6%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$5,654/yr.
34 Weak offer
Portland, ME → Beaumont, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$5,654/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Beaumont, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Beaumont, TX to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Beaumont, TX | Portland, ME | Real change, Beaumont → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,905 | +0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,579 | +0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $101,375 | +0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,548 | +0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $142,452 | +0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Beaumont, TX | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Beaumont dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,260 | $76,770 | $67,867 (+12.6%) |
| Software Developers | $124,470 | $128,710 | $113,784 (−8.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $79,790 | $70,537 (−8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,180 | $88,470 | $78,211 (−3.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.