City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Worcester, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Worcester, MA are 8.2% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $108,200 in Worcester, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,599 a month in Worcester, MA versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Worcester, MA and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Worcester, MA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.6% moving from San Antonio, TX to Worcester, MA ($108,001 → $120,548), while prices change by +8.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.1% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Worcester, MA: price level 102.5 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Antonio, TX | Worcester, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 102.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,243 in Worcester | $92,385 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,599/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $57,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Worcester, MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Worcester, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 113.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 155.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 102.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Worcester, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
44 Weak offer
Worcester, MA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Worcester, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Worcester, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Worcester, MA | Real change, San Antonio → Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $69,905 | +3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $84,579 | +3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $101,375 | +3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $120,548 | +3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $142,452 | +3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Worcester, MA | Worcester pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $82,810 | $76,504 (+24.0%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $146,950 | $135,760 (+5.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $94,070 | $86,907 (+10.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $100,240 | $92,607 (−1.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.