City comparison
Houston, TX vs Madison, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 1.4% higher than in Madison, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Madison, WI would need about $101,400 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,482 a month in Madison, WI versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Madison, WI and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,919 a year higher in Madison, WI than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to Madison, WI ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.1% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Madison, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,639 in Madison | $101,379 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,482/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $58,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Madison, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 99.7 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 89.8 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Madison, WI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,919/yr.
73 Strong offer
Madison, WI → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,919/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Madison, WI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Madison, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Madison, WI | Real change, Houston → Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −12.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −12.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −12.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −12.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −12.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Madison, WI | Madison pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $63,690 | $64,569 (+0.1%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $130,630 | $132,432 (+2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $81,130 | $82,249 (−3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $101,190 | $102,586 (+2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.