$90,000 in Houston ≈ $89,087 in Durham

$89,087

Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (98.6 → 97.6). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.

Prices in Durham run −1.0% vs Houston for equal purchasing power at this salary level.

Houston RPP
98.6
Durham RPP
97.6
Price gap
−1.0%
Base salary
$90,000

Prices in Durham run −1.0% versus Houston on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in Houston maps to about $89,087 in Durham for equal purchasing power.

Your salary

Needed in Durham: $89,087

Live math: salary × (97.6 ÷ 98.6). Same formula as the static ladder below.

Salary needed in Durham

In HoustonIn Durham
$60,000$59,391
$90,000$89,087
$150,000$148,479

Equivalent = origin salary × (97.6 ÷ 98.6). Adjust the base with the slider above.

Price level components

ComponentHoustonDurhamUS
All items98.697.6100
Goods100.696.6100
Housing (rents)104.598.9100
Other services95.698.2100

BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, US = 100. Housing is rents; utilities omitted in this view.

Wages in both metros

OccupationHoustonDurhamDest. middle halfDest. OEWS emp.Gap
Computer and Information Systems Managers$172,160$176,190$141,150 to $215,0304,170+2.3%
Architectural and Engineering Managers$172,020$172,480$144,960 to $213,380860+0.3%
Financial Managers$166,910$165,470$130,700 to $219,0501,710−0.9%
Marketing Managers$153,030$175,160$136,630 to $226,3901,230+14.5%
Sales Managers$135,880$190,370$122,560 to $268,5701,150+40.1%
Human Resources Managers$142,110$160,580$128,920 to $210,130630+13.0%
Managers, All Other$144,820$152,090$108,590 to $199,9902,340+5.0%
Lawyers$157,980$132,790$79,010 to $207,8701,220−15.9%

BLS OEWS May 2025 metro medians where published for both CBSAs. Employment is OEWS published employment, not job openings.

FAQ

What salary do I need in Durham to match $90,000 in Houston?
About $89,087, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 98.6 and 97.6. Formula: salary × (RPP_destination / RPP_origin). Not financial advice.
What do goods, housing, and other RPP components mean?
BEA publishes component indexes alongside all-items RPP. Goods covers merchandise prices; housing (rents) covers rents; other services covers remaining services. All are indexed to US = 100 for the same vintage year.
How do OEWS wages relate to this comparison?
BLS OEWS (May 2025) publishes occupation medians by metro. The wage bridge shows jobs with published medians in both metros, plus middle-half bands and OEWS employment where available. RPP adjusts purchasing power; OEWS reports pay.
Does this include taxes or benefits?
No. PayByCity does not model income taxes, childcare, healthcare premiums, or leave. Use the figures as a price-level starting point, not a take-home or total-rewards calculator.

What this covers

Includes

  • BEA Regional Price Parities (all items, goods, housing rents, other services)
  • BLS OEWS median wages, percentile bands, and employment where published
  • Purchasing-power math: salary × (destination RPP ÷ origin RPP)

Does not include

  • Federal, state, or local income taxes
  • Childcare, healthcare premiums, or leave benefits
  • Job openings. OEWS employment is a published stock estimate, not hiring demand

See methodology and disclaimer.