City comparison
College Station, TX vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 8.4% higher than in College Station, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in College Station, TX would need about $108,400 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,082 in College Station, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 16% in College Station, TX.
- Both are in TX, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from College Station, TX to Houston, TX ($106,437 → $122,749), while prices change by +8.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.3% in real buying power.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| College Station, TX | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,442 in Houston | $92,215 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
44 Weak offer
Houston, TX → College Station, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
College Station, TX 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 College Station, TX to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | Houston, TX | Real change, College Station → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,181 | +6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $86,123 | +6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $103,225 | +6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $122,749 | +6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $145,052 | +6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | Houston, TX | Houston pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,870 | $64,500 | $59,479 (+2.8%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $129,440 | $119,363 (+17.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $85,090 | $78,466 (+9.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $99,830 | $92,059 (+10.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.