City comparison
Hartford, CT vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 4.2% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $104,200 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Hartford, CT and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Hartford, CT than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.2% moving from Hartford, CT to Houston, TX ($120,094 → $122,749), while prices change by −4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.5% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Hartford, CT | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,993 in Houston | $104,174 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
82 Strong offer
Houston, TX → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | Houston, TX | Real change, Hartford → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $71,181 | +6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $86,123 | +6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $103,225 | +6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $122,749 | +6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $145,052 | +6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $64,500 | $67,192 (−15.8%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $129,440 | $134,843 (+1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $85,090 | $88,642 (−7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $99,830 | $103,997 (+2.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.