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Houston vs Philadelphia: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Houston is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 4% lower than in Philadelphia, and housing runs 8% lower. Philadelphia pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $54,500 against $49,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Philadelphia ($53,000 against $50,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Houston runs 4% lower than Philadelphia overall, and housing runs 8% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Philadelphia, you need about $96,000 in Houston. To keep $100,000 from Houston, you need about $104,000 in Philadelphia.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $49,500 in Houston, $54,500 in Philadelphia.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $127,500 in Houston, $111,500 in Philadelphia.
- Open postings in our data: 2,480 in Houston from 484 employers, 2,652 in Philadelphia from 393 employers.
- Unemployment: 5% in Houston, 4.4% in Philadelphia (BLS).
Houston and Philadelphia side by side
| Measure | Houston | Philadelphia | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 98.6 | 102.6 | Houston |
| Housing price level | 104.5 | 113.1 | Houston |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $49,500 | $54,500 | Philadelphia |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $50,000 | $53,000 | Philadelphia |
| Median pay in open postings | $127,500 | $111,500 | Houston |
| Postings that list pay | 17.5% | 28.4% | Philadelphia |
| Open postings in our data | 2,480 | 2,652 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 484 | 393 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 5% | 4.4% | Philadelphia |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 32.6% | 19.8% | Philadelphia |
| Median days a posting has been open | 30 | 28 | Philadelphia |
| Entry-level share of postings | 13.1% | 11.5% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 4.7% | 3.8% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | +15.6% | -11.8% | Houston |
"Edge" shows which area looks better on that measure (lower prices, higher pay, lower unemployment, fewer stale postings); counts and shares have no edge. Within 2% counts as about the same.
Cost of living
Houston prices sit 98.6 against a US average of 100 and Philadelphia at 102.6. The biggest difference is housing: 104.5 in Houston against 113.1 in Philadelphia. Utilities are 17% lower in Houston. The index covers goods and services including rent and home costs, so it measures what a typical household spends, not what your own budget looks like.
| Price level (US = 100) | Houston | Philadelphia | Houston vs Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 98.6 | 102.6 | 4% lower |
| Housing | 104.5 | 113.1 | 8% lower |
| Goods | 100.6 | 96.8 | 4% higher |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 114.4 | 17% lower |
| Other services | 95.6 | 103.1 | 7% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Philadelphia to Houston; the right half moves it the other way. "If only housing moved" uses the housing price level alone, for someone whose biggest cost is rent or a mortgage.
| Salary in Philadelphia | Matching salary in Houston | If only housing moved | Salary in Houston | Matching salary in Philadelphia | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $48,000 | $46,000 | $50,000 | $52,000 | $54,000 |
| $75,000 | $72,000 | $69,500 | $75,000 | $78,000 | $81,000 |
| $100,000 | $96,000 | $92,500 | $100,000 | $104,000 | $108,500 |
| $125,000 | $120,000 | $115,500 | $125,000 | $130,000 | $135,500 |
| $150,000 | $144,500 | $138,500 | $150,000 | $156,000 | $162,500 |
| $200,000 | $192,500 | $184,500 | $200,000 | $208,000 | $216,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $46.24 an hour in Houston for someone earning $100,000 in Philadelphia.
Pay for the same job
Across the 57 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Houston for 13 and higher in Philadelphia for 44. After local prices are counted, Houston comes out ahead in 20 and Philadelphia in 37. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $22,100 in Houston against $36,600 in Philadelphia.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Houston median | Philadelphia median | Houston adjusted for prices | Philadelphia adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $23,400 | $29,800 | $23,800 | $29,100 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,600 | $32,200 | $28,000 | $31,400 |
| General and Operations Managers | $119,600 | $121,600 | $121,300 | $118,600 |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,300 | $34,800 | $31,800 | $33,900 |
| Registered Nurses | $99,800 | $101,200 | $101,200 | $98,700 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,900 | $36,800 | $37,400 | $35,900 |
| Cashiers | $29,400 | $33,100 | $29,800 | $32,200 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $40,400 | $47,100 | $40,900 | $45,900 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $38,000 | $43,500 | $38,500 | $42,400 |
| Office Clerks, General | $40,400 | $47,100 | $40,900 | $45,900 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $22,100 | $36,600 | $22,400 | $35,700 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $30,700 | $36,900 | $31,100 | $36,000 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,800 | $59,400 | $57,600 | $57,900 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $46,800 | $48,900 | $47,400 | $47,600 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $66,000 | $72,700 | $66,900 | $70,900 |
Median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, all employers, May 2025 (BLS). "Adjusted" divides the wage by the area's price level (BEA, US = 100), so dollars are comparable.
Pay employers are offering right now
The wages above are what people earn in jobs they already hold. Open postings show what employers are offering today. In the job families where both areas have at least 15 postings that list pay, the median listed salary is higher in Houston for 3 of 4 and higher in Philadelphia for 1. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | Houston median listed pay | Postings | Philadelphia median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $124,500 | 63 | $135,000 | 70 |
| Legal and compliance | $210,000 | 30 | $134,500 | 15 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $141,500 | 16 | $132,500 | 21 |
| Operations and logistics | $120,500 | 15 | $89,000 | 17 |
Only postings that list a salary are counted. Median of the middle of each listed range. Job families need at least 15 such postings in both areas to appear.
Who is hiring
Healthcare & Life Sciences is the largest hiring industry in both areas. The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in Houston: Greystar (68), Tamus (61), Boxlunch (60), Careers Obmc (51), Floor & Decor (40).
- Largest posters in Philadelphia: Jefferson Health (570), ChristianaCare (268), Vanguard (163), City of Philadelphia (60), CityofPhiladelphia (60).
Counts are open postings on each employer's own career page in our data; one big employer can shape a local market.
The job market
- Postings have been open a median of 30 days in Houston and 28 in Philadelphia; 32.6% and 19.8% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 13.1% of postings in Houston and 11.5% in Philadelphia; senior and above are 30.4% and 31.4%.
- Fully remote roles are 4.7% of postings in Houston and 3.8% in Philadelphia.
- Indeed's postings index sits 15.6% above its February 2020 level in Houston and 11.8% below in Philadelphia.
- 17.5% of postings in Houston list pay, against 28.4% in Philadelphia.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Houston) stretches it further: $100,000 in Philadelphia has the buying power of about $96,000 in Houston.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Philadelphia comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($53,000 against $50,000).
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (104.5 vs 113.1) matters more than the overall index.
No place is better for everyone. Taxes, commute, schools, climate and your own spending are not in these numbers.
Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Houston or Philadelphia?
Houston is cheaper. Overall prices run 4% lower than in Philadelphia, and housing runs 8% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in Houston to match $100,000 in Philadelphia?
About $96,000 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (98.6 in Houston, 102.6 in Philadelphia). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Houston or Philadelphia?
Philadelphia has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $54,500 against $49,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Philadelphia has the higher paycheck power: $53,000 against $50,000 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, Philadelphia has more: 2,652 against 2,480. This is a sample of employer postings, not a census of every job.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, wages and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and postings from employers' own career pages, collected October 2026. Every figure on this page is in a table or chart above.
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Updated October 2026. Prices only: taxes and personal spending are not included. Price levels: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024. Wages and unemployment: Bureau of Labor Statistics (wages May 2025). Postings: employers' own career pages, October 2026. Methodology