City comparison
Cape Coral, FL vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cape Coral, FL are 3.8% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $103,800 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 20% in Houston, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Cape Coral, FL to Houston, TX ($106,437 → $122,749), while prices change by −3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +19.7% in real buying power.
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (pricier)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Cape Coral, FL | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.3 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,365 in Houston | $103,772 in Cape Coral |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,638/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,780 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cape Coral | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 86.9 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 102.3 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cape Coral, FL → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
81 Strong offer
Houston, TX → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cape Coral, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Cape Coral, FL to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cape Coral, FL | Houston, TX | Real change, Cape Coral → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,181 | +19.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $86,123 | +19.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $103,225 | +19.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $122,749 | +19.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $145,052 | +19.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cape Coral, FL | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Cape Coral dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,470 | $64,500 | $66,933 (+10.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,940 | $129,440 | $134,322 (+5.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,420 | $85,090 | $88,299 (+11.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,860 | $99,830 | $103,595 (+25.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.