City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Hagerstown, MD (94.2) and San Antonio, TX (94.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD goes as far as $100,600 in San Antonio, TX.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.3% moving from Hagerstown, MD to San Antonio, TX ($121,785 → $108,001), while prices change by +0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.8% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hagerstown, MD | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,579 in San Antonio | $99,425 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
67 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Hagerstown, MD
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Hagerstown → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $62,629 | −11.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $75,776 | −11.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $90,823 | −11.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $108,001 | −11.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $127,624 | −11.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $61,720 | $61,365 (−2.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $128,430 | $127,691 (+4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $78,650 | $78,197 (+3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $94,370 | $93,827 (+1.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.