City comparison
Houston, TX vs Winston, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 7.2% higher than in Winston, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Winston, NC would need about $107,200 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 $1,082 in Winston, NC. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 17% in Winston, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Winston, NC than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Houston, TX to Winston, NC ($122,749 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.1% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- Winston, NC: price level 92.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Winston, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,322 in Winston | $107,155 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,082/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $46,380 |
| 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 Winston-Salem, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Winston-Salem, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Winston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 71.4 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 88.4 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Winston, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
91 Strong offer
Winston, NC → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Winston, NC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Winston, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Winston, NC | Real change, Houston → Winston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $61,722 | −7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $74,678 | −7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,508 | −7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,437 | −7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $125,776 | −7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Winston, NC | Winston pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $56,510 | $60,553 (−6.1%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $124,130 | $133,012 (+2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $78,950 | $84,599 (−0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $86,120 | $92,282 (−7.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.