City comparison
Houston, TX vs Peoria, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 8.1% higher than in Peoria, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Peoria, IL would need about $108,100 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 $818 in Peoria, IL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 13% in Peoria, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Peoria, IL than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to Peoria, IL ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.3% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Peoria, IL: price level 91.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Peoria, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 91.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,499 in Peoria | $108,109 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $818/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $49,590 |
| 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 Peoria, IL MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Peoria, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Peoria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 63.8 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 90.5 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 91.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Peoria, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
94 Strong offer
Peoria, IL → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
45 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Peoria, IL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Peoria, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Peoria, IL | Real change, Houston → Peoria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Peoria, IL | Peoria pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $57,440 | $62,098 (−3.7%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $130,590 | $141,180 (+9.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $79,540 | $85,990 (+1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $81,010 | $87,579 (−12.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.