City comparison
Little Rock, AR vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 6.0% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $106,000 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,687 a year higher in Little Rock, AR than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Little Rock, AR to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by +6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.3% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Little Rock, AR | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,989 in San Antonio | $94,349 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,687/yr.
51 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,687/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Little Rock, AR is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Little Rock, AR to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Little Rock → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $61,720 | $58,232 (−0.6%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $128,430 | $121,173 (+16.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $78,650 | $74,206 (+12.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $94,370 | $89,038 (+9.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.