City comparison
Durham, NC vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 1.1% higher than in Durham, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Durham, NC would need about $101,100 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Durham, NC than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.4% moving from Durham, NC to Houston, TX ($111,147 → $122,749), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.3% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (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
| Durham, NC | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,083 in Houston | $98,928 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
65 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Durham, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
72 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Houston, TX | Real change, Durham → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $71,181 | +9.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $86,123 | +9.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $103,225 | +9.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $122,749 | +9.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $145,052 | +9.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $129,670 | $126,370 | $125,016 (−3.6%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $129,440 | $128,053 (−5.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $85,090 | $84,178 (−1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $99,830 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.