City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 5.0% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $105,000 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.2% moving from Chicago, IL to Houston, TX ($118,984 → $122,749), while prices change by −4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.4% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (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
| Chicago, IL | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,206 in Houston | $105,035 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
84 Strong offer
Houston, TX → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Houston, TX | Real change, Chicago → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $71,181 | +8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $86,123 | +8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $103,225 | +8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $122,749 | +8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $145,052 | +8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $64,500 | $67,748 (−13.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $129,440 | $135,957 (+1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $85,090 | $89,374 (+8.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $99,830 | $104,856 (+4.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.