City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Raleigh, NC are 9.2% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $109,200 in Raleigh, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Raleigh, NC than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from El Paso, TX to Raleigh, NC ($106,437 → $111,147), while prices change by +9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.3% in real buying power.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (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 | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,170 in Raleigh | $91,600 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Raleigh, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
42 Weak offer
Raleigh, NC → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
El Paso, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from El Paso, TX to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Raleigh, NC | Real change, El Paso → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,453 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,983 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,468 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,147 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,342 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $60,170 | $55,116 (−13.6%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $132,770 | $121,618 (−4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $81,950 | $75,066 (+13.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $84,830 | $77,704 (−9.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.