City comparison
Columbia, SC vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 5.3% higher than in Columbia, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbia, SC would need about $105,300 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 $1,164 in Columbia, SC. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 19% in Columbia, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Columbia, SC than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Columbia, SC to Houston, TX ($106,437 → $122,749), while prices change by +5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.5% in real buying power.
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (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
| Columbia, SC | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.7 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,303 in Houston | $94,964 in Columbia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,164/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,430 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbia, SC and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbia | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.5 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 88.3 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 93.7 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbia, SC → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
53 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Columbia, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbia, SC 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 Columbia, SC to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbia, SC | Houston, TX | Real change, Columbia → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,181 | +9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $86,123 | +9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $103,225 | +9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $122,749 | +9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $145,052 | +9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbia, SC | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Columbia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,050 | $64,500 | $61,252 (+2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $123,380 | $129,440 | $122,921 (−0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $69,210 | $85,090 | $80,805 (+16.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,920 | $99,830 | $94,803 (+15.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.