City comparison
Houston, TX vs Memphis, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 7.0% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $107,000 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 $1,154 in Memphis, TN. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 17% in Memphis, TN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to Memphis, TN ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.2% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Memphis, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,460 in Memphis | $106,997 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,154/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $46,890 |
| 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 Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Memphis, TN-MS-AR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 74.1 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 95.4 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
91 Strong offer
Memphis, TN → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Memphis, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Memphis, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Memphis, TN | Real change, Houston → Memphis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Memphis, TN | Memphis pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $61,510 | $65,814 (+2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $125,580 | $134,367 (+3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $76,960 | $82,345 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $81,500 | $87,203 (−12.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.