City comparison
Harrisburg, PA vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Harrisburg, PA (98.7) and Houston, TX (98.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA goes as far as $100,000 in Houston, TX.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Harrisburg, PA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.0% moving from Harrisburg, PA to Houston, TX ($108,592 → $122,749), while prices change by −0.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.1% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
- 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
| Harrisburg, PA | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,979 in Houston | $100,021 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +0.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
69 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Harrisburg, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | Houston, TX | Real change, Harrisburg → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $71,181 | +13.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $86,123 | +13.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $103,225 | +13.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $122,749 | +13.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $145,052 | +13.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $64,500 | $64,514 (−16.4%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $129,440 | $129,468 (+18.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $85,090 | $85,108 (+11.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $99,830 | $99,851 (+3.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.