City comparison
Houston, TX vs Portland, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, OR are 6.9% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $106,900 in Portland, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,677 a month in Portland, OR versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Portland, OR and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $7,920 a year higher in Portland, OR than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.6% moving from Houston, TX to Portland, OR ($122,749 → $114,684), while prices change by +6.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.6% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Portland, OR: price level 105.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Portland, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 105.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,886 in Portland | $93,557 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,677/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $60,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 125.1 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 100.1 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 105.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Portland, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$7,920/yr.
44 Weak offer
Portland, OR → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$7,920/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Portland, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Portland, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Portland, OR | Real change, Houston → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $66,505 | −12.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $80,465 | −12.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $96,443 | −12.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $114,684 | −12.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $135,522 | −12.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Portland, OR | Portland pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $82,330 | $77,026 (+19.4%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $156,000 | $145,949 (+12.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $92,200 | $86,260 (+1.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $130,310 | $121,914 (+22.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.