City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Boise City, ID (98.4) and Houston, TX (98.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Boise City, ID goes as far as $100,200 in Houston, TX.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID and $1,323 in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,192 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Boise City, ID to Houston, TX ($106,437 → $122,749), while prices change by +0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.0% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boise City, ID | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,242 in Houston | $99,759 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,192/yr.
68 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Boise City, ID
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$4,192/yr.
70 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Houston, TX | Real change, Boise City → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,181 | +15.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $86,123 | +15.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $103,225 | +15.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $122,749 | +15.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $145,052 | +15.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $64,500 | $64,344 (+5.1%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $129,440 | $129,128 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $85,090 | $84,885 (+10.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $99,830 | $99,589 (+1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.