City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Durham, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Durham, NC are 13.5% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $113,500 in Durham, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Durham, NC than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Brownsville, TX to Durham, NC ($106,437 → $111,147), while prices change by +13.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.0% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Durham, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 97.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,489 in Durham | $88,114 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,507/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 | $60,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Durham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 98.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 97.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Durham, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
38 Weak offer
Durham, NC → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.5%; 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; Durham, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Durham, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Durham, NC | Real change, Brownsville → Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,453 | −8.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,983 | −8.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,468 | −8.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,147 | −8.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,342 | −8.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Durham, NC | Durham pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $51,400 | $45,291 (−28.5%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $135,620 | $119,501 (+11.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $85,090 | $74,977 (+12.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | not published | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.