USA Cost of Living Compare US cities and states with official data

Pennsylvania vs Texas: cost of living compared

Statewide price levels and incomes from BEA (2024); gas prices from EIA (weekly).

Is it cheaper to live in Pennsylvania or Texas?

  • Overall, living costs in Texas and Pennsylvania are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
  • To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Pennsylvania works out to about $74,600 in Texas, before taxes.
  • Housing is 13.4% higher in Texas, goods 1.3% lower and other services 2.7% lower, which roughly cancel out.
  • Utility prices (electricity, gas, water) are 19.9% lower in Texas.
  • After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $58,219 in Texas and $58,620 in Pennsylvania (about the same; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
  • Inside each state, metro price levels run from 83.8 in Eagle Pass, TX to 103.1 in Dallas, TX (Texas) and from 85.9 in Johnstown, PA to 102.6 in Philadelphia, PA (Pennsylvania), US = 100.
  • The gap is about where it was in 2019 (0.5%).

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities and real personal income by state. Statewide averages mix cities and rural areas; taxes are not included. How we calculate.

Try your own salary

18% matches BEA's average basket. Set your own share if housing takes more or less of your budget.

Category by category

Both states against the US average (100).

Overall prices are about the same in Pennsylvania and Texas

Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.

  • Pennsylvania
  • Texas
All items
97.6 97.1
Goods
99.4 98.1
Housing (rents)
85.1 96.5
Utilities
109.3 87.5
Other services
99.8 97.1

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
PennsylvaniaTexas
All items97.697.1
Goods99.498.1
Housing (rents)85.196.5
Utilities109.387.5
Other services99.897.1
CategoryPennsylvaniaTexasTexas vs Pennsylvania
All items97.697.1−0.5%
Goods99.498.1−1.3%
Housing (rents)85.196.5+13.4%
Utilities109.387.5−19.9%
Other services99.897.1−2.7%
Income per person, adjusted for prices $58,620 $58,219 −0.7%
Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026* $4.31 $3.70 −14.1%
Salary to match $75,000 in Pennsylvania $75,000 $74,600 −0.5%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Income: BEA real personal income per person, 2017 dollars. Gas: EIA weekly retail prices. *Central Atlantic region average (EIA has no separate Pennsylvania figure).

Cheapest and most expensive places in each state

Pennsylvania

  1. Johnstown, PA 85.9
  2. Altoona, PA 89.5
  3. Erie, PA 91.0
  4. Williamsport, PA 92.4
  5. Lebanon, PA 93.2
  6. Scranton, PA 93.6
  7. Chambersburg, PA 94.6
  8. Pittsburgh, PA 94.7
  9. Gettysburg, PA 95.4
  10. York, PA 96.0
  11. State College, PA 96.8
  12. Reading, PA 97.1
  13. Lancaster, PA 98.3
  14. Harrisburg, PA 98.7
  15. Allentown, PA 100.0
  16. Philadelphia, PA 102.6

Texas

  1. Eagle Pass, TX 83.8
  2. Texarkana, TX 84.0
  3. McAllen, TX 85.9
  4. Brownsville, TX 86.0
  5. Laredo, TX 87.0
  6. Longview, TX 89.5
  7. Wichita Falls, TX 89.5
  8. Victoria, TX 89.8
  9. El Paso, TX 89.9
  10. Beaumont, TX 90.0
  11. Abilene, TX 90.4
  12. College Station, TX 91.0
  13. Killeen, TX 91.1
  14. Lubbock, TX 91.3
  15. Amarillo, TX 91.8
  16. Tyler, TX 92.2
  17. San Angelo, TX 92.5
  18. Waco, TX 92.6
  19. Corpus Christi, TX 92.7
  20. Sherman, TX 93.8
  21. Odessa, TX 93.9
  22. San Antonio, TX 94.7
  23. Midland, TX 95.8
  24. Austin, TX 98.1
  25. Houston, TX 98.6
  26. Dallas, TX 103.1

Metro areas ordered from cheapest to most expensive. BEA, 2024, US = 100.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between Pennsylvania and Texas has narrowed since 2008: 2.1 points then, 0.5 now

Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.

  • Pennsylvania
  • Texas
US average = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
PennsylvaniaTexas
200899.297.1
200999.596.7
201098.997.7
201198.497.0
201298.097.7
201397.898.1
201497.298.4
201598.198.3
201697.898.1
201799.197.4
201898.297.8
201998.098.5
202097.798.8
202196.198.4
202296.397.4
202397.497.1
202497.697.1

Goods

  • Pennsylvania
  • Texas
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
PennsylvaniaTexas
2008101.897.1
2009101.796.1
201099.998.1
2011100.496.5
201299.797.6
201398.297.6
201498.497.4
2015100.597.1
2016100.398.4
201799.997.1
201899.797.1
201997.197.9
202097.498.2
202195.398.5
202296.997.2
202398.498.1
202499.498.1

Housing (rents)

  • Pennsylvania
  • Texas
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
PennsylvaniaTexas
200886.688.0
200986.888.2
201088.589.3
201188.789.7
201288.191.1
201389.091.4
201488.793.6
201588.994.0
201687.995.6
201787.995.2
201887.795.2
201986.595.8
202086.895.8
202186.795.6
202286.497.0
202385.897.5
202485.196.5

Utilities

  • Pennsylvania
  • Texas
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
PennsylvaniaTexas
2008109.0101.4
2009111.996.2
2010110.398.1
2011113.794.4
2012110.193.1
2013110.495.7
2014102.394.9
2015103.691.1
2016105.391.9
2017108.488.0
2018111.487.5
2019112.687.7
2020109.085.0
2021106.186.2
2022109.888.7
2023118.392.4
2024109.387.5

Other services

  • Pennsylvania
  • Texas
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
PennsylvaniaTexas
2008100.8100.0
2009101.4100.4
2010101.0100.3
201199.4100.1
201299.3100.4
201399.6101.0
201498.7101.1
201599.2101.1
201698.899.0
2017101.598.9
201899.699.8
2019101.2100.5
2020101.1101.3
202199.2100.0
202298.298.2
202399.496.6
202499.897.1

What incomes buy in each state

Income per person after adjusting for prices: $58,219 in Texas, $58,620 in Pennsylvania

Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).

  • Pennsylvania
  • Texas
  • United States

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.

Show the numbers
PennsylvaniaTexasUnited States
2008$46,939$46,068$45,816
2009$45,776$43,349$44,204
2010$47,072$44,078$44,808
2011$48,362$46,663$45,957
2012$49,325$47,554$46,796
2013$49,047$47,301$46,358
2014$50,343$48,959$47,661
2015$51,702$48,983$49,396
2016$52,744$47,686$49,828
2017$52,479$49,918$51,006
2018$54,492$51,551$52,242
2019$55,458$52,343$53,683
2020$59,098$53,181$56,514
2021$61,217$56,442$59,365
2022$58,304$56,452$57,104
2023$58,027$57,708$58,088
2024$58,620$58,219$59,195

More

Related state comparisons

What this comparison leaves out

  • Taxes. State income, sales and property taxes differ a lot between states and are not included.
  • Where you live inside the state. Statewide figures average cities and rural areas; the metro lists above show the spread.
  • Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider if housing is a bigger share of your budget.
  • Timing. BEA price levels and incomes are for 2024; gas prices are weekly.

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