City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Minneapolis, MN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Minneapolis, MN are 21.9% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $121,900 in Minneapolis, MN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,405 a month in Minneapolis, MN versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Minneapolis, MN and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,277 a year higher in Minneapolis, MN than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.0% moving from Brownsville, TX to Minneapolis, MN ($106,437 → $116,038), while prices change by +21.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.6% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Minneapolis, MN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 104.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,921 in Minneapolis | $82,020 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,405/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,903 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,277 (MN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $59,320 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 111.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 103.1 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 93.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 104.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Minneapolis, MN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$5,277/yr.
38 Weak offer
Minneapolis, MN → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.9%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$5,277/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Minneapolis, MN is in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Minneapolis, MN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Minneapolis, MN | Real change, Brownsville → Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $67,290 | −10.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $81,415 | −10.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $97,582 | −10.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $116,038 | −10.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $137,123 | −10.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Minneapolis, MN | Minneapolis pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $79,730 | $65,395 (+3.2%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $130,920 | $107,381 (+0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $86,500 | $70,947 (+6.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $103,040 | $84,513 (+4.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.