City comparison
Columbus, OH vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 3.3% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $103,300 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 $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Columbus, OH than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.5% moving from Columbus, OH to Houston, TX ($111,065 → $122,749), while prices change by +3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.0% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (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, OH | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,310 in Houston | $96,796 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
59 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Houston, TX | Real change, Columbus → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $71,181 | +7.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $86,123 | +7.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $103,225 | +7.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $122,749 | +7.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $145,052 | +7.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $64,500 | $62,433 (−20.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $129,440 | $125,293 (+2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $85,090 | $82,364 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $99,830 | $96,632 (+15.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.