City comparison
Longview, TX vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 13.3% higher than in Longview, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Longview, TX would need about $113,300 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,013 in Longview, TX. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 15% in Longview, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in FL.
- 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 Longview, TX to Orlando, FL changes real buying power by −11.8%, purely from prices.
- Longview, TX: price level 89.5 (much cheaper)
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Longview, TX | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.5 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,335 in Orlando | $88,234 in Longview |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,150 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Longview, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Longview, TX and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Longview | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 66.7 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.5 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 89.5 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Longview, TX → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.8%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
36 Weak offer
Orlando, FL → Longview, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 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 Longview, TX to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Longview, TX | Orlando, FL | Real change, Longview → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −11.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −11.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −11.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −11.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −11.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Longview, TX | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Longview dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $60,190 | $53,108 (−11.8%) |
| Software Developers | $106,360 | $129,620 | $114,369 (+7.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,060 | $78,630 | $69,378 (−7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,330 | $83,550 | $73,719 (−8.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.