City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 9.7% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $109,700 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 $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- Both are in TX, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from El Paso, TX to Houston, TX ($106,437 → $122,749), while prices change by +9.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (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
| El Paso, TX | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,695 in Houston | $91,162 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
41 Weak offer
Houston, TX → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
El Paso, TX 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 El Paso, TX to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Houston, TX | Real change, El Paso → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,181 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $86,123 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $103,225 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $122,749 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $145,052 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Houston, TX | Houston pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $64,500 | $58,799 (−7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $129,440 | $118,000 (−7.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $85,090 | $77,570 (+17.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $99,830 | $91,007 (+5.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.