City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Richmond, VA are 13.8% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $113,800 in Richmond, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.5% moving from Brownsville, TX to Richmond, VA ($106,437 → $111,183), while prices change by +13.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.2% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,821 in Richmond | $87,857 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Richmond, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
38 Weak offer
Richmond, VA → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Richmond, VA | Real change, Brownsville → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,475 | −8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,009 | −8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,499 | −8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,183 | −8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,385 | −8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $61,290 | $53,847 (−15.0%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $132,120 | $116,077 (+8.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $84,220 | $73,993 (+11.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $93,580 | $82,216 (+1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.