City comparison
Houston, TX vs Shreveport, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 16.4% higher than in Shreveport, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Shreveport, LA would need about $116,400 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 $982 in Shreveport, LA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 15% in Shreveport, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Shreveport, LA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to Shreveport, LA ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.9% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Shreveport, LA: price level 84.8 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Shreveport, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 84.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,944 in Shreveport | $116,354 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $44,820 |
| 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 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Shreveport-Bossier City, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Shreveport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 52.3 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 72.6 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 84.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Shreveport, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
100 Strong offer
Shreveport, LA → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
38 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Shreveport, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Shreveport, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Shreveport, LA | Real change, Houston → Shreveport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | +0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | +0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | +0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | +0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | +0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Shreveport, LA | Shreveport pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $126,370 | $85,030 | $98,936 (−21.7%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $96,680 | $112,491 (−13.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $70,420 | $81,937 (−3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $80,080 | $93,177 (−6.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.