City comparison
Fayetteville, AR 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 8.0% higher than in Fayetteville, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, AR would need about $108,000 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 $1,115 in Fayetteville, AR. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 18% in Fayetteville, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,687 a year higher in Fayetteville, AR than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Fayetteville, AR to Houston, TX ($106,437 → $122,749), while prices change by +8.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.8% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, AR: price level 91.4 (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
| Fayetteville, AR | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.4 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,965 in Houston | $92,623 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,115/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,610 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.9 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 75.1 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 91.4 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, AR → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,687/yr.
46 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Fayetteville, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,687/yr.
94 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Fayetteville, AR 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 Fayetteville, AR to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, AR | Houston, TX | Real change, Fayetteville → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,181 | +6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $86,123 | +6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $103,225 | +6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $122,749 | +6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $145,052 | +6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, AR | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $106,200 | $126,370 | $117,048 (+10.2%) |
| Software Developers | $105,130 | $129,440 | $119,891 (+14.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,190 | $85,090 | $78,813 (+2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,910 | $99,830 | $92,465 (+18.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.