City comparison
Houston, TX vs Roanoke, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 5.4% higher than in Roanoke, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Roanoke, VA would need about $105,400 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 $1,053 in Roanoke, VA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 17% in Roanoke, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Roanoke, VA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to Roanoke, VA ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.6% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Roanoke, VA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Roanoke, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,919 in Roanoke | $105,353 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,053/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $47,140 |
| 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 Roanoke, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Roanoke, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Roanoke |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 78.5 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 88.9 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Roanoke, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
85 Strong offer
Roanoke, VA → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Roanoke, VA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Roanoke, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Roanoke, VA | Real change, Houston → Roanoke |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −8.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −8.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −8.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −8.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −8.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Roanoke, VA | Roanoke pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $62,010 | $65,329 (+1.3%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $121,110 | $127,593 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $77,240 | $81,374 (−4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $80,090 | $84,377 (−15.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.