City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 29.3% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $129,300 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Brownsville, TX to Seattle, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +29.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.0% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $129,262 in Seattle | $77,362 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −22.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +29.3%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Seattle, WA | Real change, Brownsville → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | −13.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | −13.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | −13.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | −13.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | −13.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $102,920 | $79,621 (+25.7%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $167,280 | $129,412 (+21.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $99,370 | $76,875 (+15.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $128,260 | $99,225 (+22.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.