Cost of Living: State College borough, PA vs Houston, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,337/mo in State College borough, PA versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 17.91% of gross in State College borough, PA versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so State College borough, PA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in State College borough, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in State College borough, PA
17.91%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Houston, TX
19.13%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between State College borough, PA and Houston, TX.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Houston, TX
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): State College borough, PA
  • Lower home prices: Houston, TX
  • Higher median household income: Houston, TX

Cost of Living Index

State College borough, PA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

Houston, TX has a lower cost-of-living index than State College borough, PA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

State College borough, PA: $1,168/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Houston, TX is $80/mo higher than in State College borough, PA.

Median Home Price

State College borough, PA: $414,400 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in State College borough, PA is $161,000 higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Household Income

State College borough, PA: $47,132 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Houston, TX has a higher median household income than State College borough, PA by $15,762.

State College borough, PA overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons