City comparison
Houston, TX vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 3.2% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $103,200 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,402 a month in Providence, RI versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Providence, RI than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.8% moving from Houston, TX to Providence, RI ($122,749 → $120,548), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.8% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,188 in Providence | $96,911 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $53,680 |
| 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 Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
59 Fair offer
Providence, RI → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Providence, RI | Real change, Houston → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $69,905 | −4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $84,579 | −4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $101,375 | −4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $120,548 | −4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $142,452 | −4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $86,720 | $84,041 (+30.3%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $130,690 | $126,653 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $95,020 | $92,085 (+8.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $99,880 | $96,794 (−3.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.