City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 7.1% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $107,100 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 20% in Houston, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.6% moving from Bremerton, WA to Houston, TX ($119,630 → $122,749), while prices change by −6.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.9% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (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
| Bremerton, WA | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,392 in Houston | $107,075 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
91 Strong offer
Houston, TX → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Houston, TX | Real change, Bremerton → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $71,181 | +9.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $86,123 | +9.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $103,225 | +9.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $122,749 | +9.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $145,052 | +9.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $64,500 | $69,063 (−32.7%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $129,440 | $138,598 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $85,090 | $91,110 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $99,830 | $106,893 (−0.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.