City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 10.5% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $110,500 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.1% moving from Columbus, GA to Houston, TX ($112,556 → $122,749), while prices change by +10.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.3% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (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
| Columbus, GA | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,452 in Houston | $90,537 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
39 Weak offer
Houston, TX → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Houston, TX | Real change, Columbus → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $71,181 | −1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $86,123 | −1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $103,225 | −1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $122,749 | −1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $145,052 | −1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $64,500 | $58,397 (−4.8%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $129,440 | $117,191 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $85,090 | $77,038 (+4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $99,830 | $90,383 (+9.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.