City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 26.2% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $126,200 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Brownsville, TX to Vallejo, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +26.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.9% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $126,175 in Vallejo | $79,255 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.7%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
34 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +26.2%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Brownsville → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | −0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | −0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | −0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | −0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | −0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $100,790 | $79,881 (+26.1%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $136,930 | $108,524 (+1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $95,800 | $75,926 (+14.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $203,290 | $161,117 (+98.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.