City comparison
College Station, TX vs Hagerstown, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hagerstown, MD are 3.5% higher than in College Station, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in College Station, TX would need about $103,500 in Hagerstown, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,082 a month in College Station, TX versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in College Station, TX and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in College Station, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.4% moving from College Station, TX to Hagerstown, MD ($106,437 → $121,785), while prices change by +3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.5% in real buying power.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (much cheaper)
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| College Station, TX | Hagerstown, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 94.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,540 in Hagerstown | $96,581 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/mo | $961/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 75.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 95.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 94.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
58 Fair offer
Hagerstown, MD → College Station, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
College Station, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Hagerstown, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from College Station, TX to Hagerstown, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | Hagerstown, MD | Real change, College Station → Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,623 | +10.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,447 | +10.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,415 | +10.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,785 | +10.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,913 | +10.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | Hagerstown, MD | Hagerstown pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,870 | $63,190 | $61,029 (+5.5%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $122,830 | $118,630 (+16.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $75,250 | $72,677 (+1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $92,770 | $89,598 (+7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.