City comparison
Huntington, WV vs Lubbock, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lubbock, TX are 3.3% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $103,300 in Lubbock, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $990 a month in Lubbock, TX versus $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Lubbock, TX and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,885 a year higher in Huntington, WV than in Lubbock, TX.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Huntington, WV to Lubbock, TX changes real buying power by −3.2%, purely from prices.
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (much cheaper)
- Lubbock, TX: price level 91.3 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntington, WV | Lubbock, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.4 | 91.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,274 in Lubbock | $96,830 in Huntington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $853/mo | $990/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,295 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,885 (WV) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,600 | $42,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Lubbock, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH and Lubbock, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntington | Lubbock |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 51.3 | 76.4 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 82.8 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 88.4 | 91.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntington, WV → Lubbock, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,885/yr.
59 Fair offer
Lubbock, TX → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,885/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntington, WV to Lubbock, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntington, WV | Lubbock, TX | Real change, Huntington → Lubbock |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntington, WV | Lubbock, TX | Lubbock pay in Huntington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,450 | $59,220 | $57,343 (−0.2%) |
| Software Developers | $110,780 | $115,190 | $111,538 (+0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,840 | $74,390 | $72,032 (+1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $81,480 | $78,897 (−2.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.