City comparison
Houston, TX vs Savannah, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 3.6% higher than in Savannah, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Savannah, GA would need about $103,600 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Savannah, GA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to Savannah, GA ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.2% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Savannah, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 95.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,529 in Savannah | $103,595 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,533/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $47,240 |
| 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 Savannah, GA MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Savannah, GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Savannah |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 88.6 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 95.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Savannah, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
80 Strong offer
Savannah, GA → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Savannah, GA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Savannah, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Savannah, GA | Real change, Houston → Savannah |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Savannah, GA | Savannah pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $63,710 | $66,001 (+2.3%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $123,220 | $127,650 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $79,790 | $82,659 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $86,760 | $89,879 (−10.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.