City comparison
Boston, MA vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 9.8% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $109,800 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 $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.8% moving from Boston, MA to Houston, TX ($120,548 → $122,749), while prices change by −8.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.8% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- 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
| Boston, MA | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,099 in Houston | $109,771 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
99 Strong offer
Houston, TX → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
19 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Houston, TX | Real change, Boston → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $71,181 | +11.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $86,123 | +11.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $103,225 | +11.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $122,749 | +11.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $145,052 | +11.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $64,500 | $70,802 (−27.8%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $129,440 | $142,088 (−14.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $85,090 | $93,404 (−6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $99,830 | $109,584 (+3.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.