City comparison
Houston, TX vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, ME are 3.3% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $103,300 in Portland, ME to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,654 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.8% moving from Houston, TX to Portland, ME ($122,749 → $120,548), while prices change by +3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.9% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,274 in Portland | $96,830 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $56,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Portland, ME
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$5,654/yr.
56 Fair offer
Portland, ME → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$5,654/yr.
79 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Portland, ME | Real change, Houston → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $69,905 | −4.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $84,579 | −4.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $101,375 | −4.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $120,548 | −4.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $142,452 | −4.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $126,370 | $103,440 | $100,161 (−20.7%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $128,710 | $124,630 (−3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $79,790 | $77,261 (−9.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $88,470 | $85,665 (−14.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.