City comparison
Houston, TX vs Oklahoma City, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 9.1% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Oklahoma City, OK would need about $109,100 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 $1,017 in Oklahoma City, OK. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 16% in Oklahoma City, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,955 a year higher in Oklahoma City, OK than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to Oklahoma City, OK ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.4% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Oklahoma City, OK: price level 90.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Oklahoma City, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 90.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,665 in Oklahoma City | $109,093 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,017/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $47,230 |
| 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 Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Oklahoma City, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 73.9 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 74.1 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 90.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Oklahoma City, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,955/yr.
97 Strong offer
Oklahoma City, OK → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,955/yr.
43 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Oklahoma City, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Oklahoma City, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Oklahoma City, OK | Real change, Houston → Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Oklahoma City, OK | Oklahoma City pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $48,780 | $53,216 (−17.5%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $122,390 | $133,519 (+3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $77,280 | $84,307 (−0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $82,920 | $90,460 (−9.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.