City comparison
Houston, TX vs Huntsville, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 6.0% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $106,000 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 $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.7% moving from Houston, TX to Huntsville, AL ($122,749 → $110,847), while prices change by −5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.3% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Huntsville, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,366 in Huntsville | $105,971 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,136/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $51,740 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Huntsville, AL MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Huntsville, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Huntsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 77.9 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 83.9 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
87 Strong offer
Huntsville, AL → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Huntsville, AL is in Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Huntsville, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Huntsville, AL | Real change, Houston → Huntsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $64,279 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $77,772 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $93,216 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $110,847 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $130,987 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Huntsville, AL | Huntsville pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $62,250 | $65,967 (+2.3%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $128,080 | $135,727 (+4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $79,220 | $83,950 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $77,090 | $81,693 (−18.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.