City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Charlotte, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Charlotte, NC are 13.2% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $113,200 in Charlotte, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Charlotte, NC than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.2% moving from Brownsville, TX to Charlotte, NC ($106,437 → $108,810), while prices change by +13.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.7% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Charlotte, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,228 in Charlotte | $88,317 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,538/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Charlotte |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 97.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Charlotte, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
38 Weak offer
Charlotte, NC → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.2%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Charlotte, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Charlotte, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Charlotte, NC | Real change, Brownsville → Charlotte |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,098 | −9.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,343 | −9.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,503 | −9.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,810 | −9.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,581 | −9.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Charlotte, NC | Charlotte pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $58,680 | $51,825 (−18.2%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $135,920 | $120,041 (+12.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $92,910 | $82,055 (+23.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $90,620 | $80,033 (−1.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.