City comparison
Houston, TX vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 2.7% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $102,700 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 $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in York, PA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.8% moving from Houston, TX to York, PA ($122,749 → $121,785), while prices change by −2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.9% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Houston, TX | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,334 in York | $102,739 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
77 Strong offer
York, PA → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | York, PA | Real change, Houston → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $70,623 | +1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $85,447 | +1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $102,415 | +1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $121,785 | +1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $143,913 | +1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | York, PA | York pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $79,730 | $81,913 (+27.0%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $114,600 | $117,738 (−9.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $75,160 | $77,218 (−9.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $96,210 | $98,845 (−1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.