City comparison
Durham, NC vs Lubbock, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Durham, NC are 6.8% higher than in Lubbock, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Lubbock, TX would need about $106,800 in Durham, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $990 in Lubbock, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 15% in Lubbock, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Durham, NC than in Lubbock, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Durham, NC to Lubbock, TX ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.3% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
- Lubbock, TX: price level 91.3 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Durham, NC | Lubbock, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 91.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,589 in Lubbock | $106,850 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $990/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% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $42,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Lubbock, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Lubbock, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Lubbock |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 76.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 82.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 91.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Lubbock, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
90 Strong offer
Lubbock, TX → Durham, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Lubbock, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Lubbock, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Lubbock, TX | Real change, Durham → Lubbock |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | +2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | +2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | +2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | +2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | +2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Lubbock, TX | Lubbock pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $51,400 | $59,220 | $63,276 (+23.1%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $115,190 | $123,080 (−9.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $74,390 | $79,486 (−6.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $81,480 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.