Texas vs Maine: cost of living compared
Statewide price levels and incomes from BEA (2024); gas prices from EIA (weekly).
Is it cheaper to live in Texas or Maine?
- Overall, living costs in Maine and Texas are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Texas works out to about $75,000 in Maine, before taxes.
- Housing is 18.2% lower in Maine, goods 0.9% lower and other services 6.3% higher, which roughly cancel out.
- Utility prices (electricity, gas, water) are 54.5% higher in Maine.
- After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $57,480 in Maine and $58,219 in Texas (1.3% lower in Maine; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
- Inside each state, metro price levels run from 94.7 in Lewiston, ME to 101.9 in Portland, ME (Maine) and from 83.8 in Eagle Pass, TX to 103.1 in Dallas, TX (Texas), US = 100.
- The gap has narrowed since 2019, when Maine was 2.9% less expensive than Texas.
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.
Category by category
Both states against the US average (100).
Overall prices are about the same in Texas and Maine
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Texas
- Maine
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Texas | Maine | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 97.1 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 98.1 | 97.2 |
| Housing (rents) | 96.5 | 78.9 |
| Utilities | 87.5 | 135.2 |
| Other services | 97.1 | 103.2 |
| Category | Texas | Maine | Maine vs Texas |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 97.1 | 97.1 | 0.0% |
| Goods | 98.1 | 97.2 | −0.9% |
| Housing (rents) | 96.5 | 78.9 | −18.2% |
| Utilities | 87.5 | 135.2 | +54.5% |
| Other services | 97.1 | 103.2 | +6.3% |
| Income per person, adjusted for prices | $58,219 | $57,480 | −1.3% |
| Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026* | $3.70 | $4.25 | +14.7% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Texas | $75,000 | $75,000 | 0.0% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Income: BEA real personal income per person, 2017 dollars. Gas: EIA weekly retail prices. *New England region average (EIA has no separate Maine figure).
Cheapest and most expensive places in each state
Texas
- Eagle Pass, TX 83.8
- Texarkana, TX 84.0
- McAllen, TX 85.9
- Brownsville, TX 86.0
- Laredo, TX 87.0
- Longview, TX 89.5
- Wichita Falls, TX 89.5
- Victoria, TX 89.8
- El Paso, TX 89.9
- Beaumont, TX 90.0
- Abilene, TX 90.4
- College Station, TX 91.0
- Killeen, TX 91.1
- Lubbock, TX 91.3
- Amarillo, TX 91.8
- Tyler, TX 92.2
- San Angelo, TX 92.5
- Waco, TX 92.6
- Corpus Christi, TX 92.7
- Sherman, TX 93.8
- Odessa, TX 93.9
- San Antonio, TX 94.7
- Midland, TX 95.8
- Austin, TX 98.1
- Houston, TX 98.6
- Dallas, TX 103.1
Maine
- Lewiston, ME 94.7
- Bangor, ME 96.5
- Portland, ME 101.9
Metro areas ordered from cheapest to most expensive. BEA, 2024, US = 100.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Texas and Maine has been fairly stable since 2008
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Texas
- Maine
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Texas | Maine | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 97.1 | 98.4 |
| 2009 | 96.7 | 98.7 |
| 2010 | 97.7 | 97.5 |
| 2011 | 97.0 | 96.1 |
| 2012 | 97.7 | 97.0 |
| 2013 | 98.1 | 98.3 |
| 2014 | 98.4 | 92.5 |
| 2015 | 98.3 | 95.9 |
| 2016 | 98.1 | 97.2 |
| 2017 | 97.4 | 97.6 |
| 2018 | 97.8 | 97.6 |
| 2019 | 98.5 | 95.6 |
| 2020 | 98.8 | 97.9 |
| 2021 | 98.4 | 97.3 |
| 2022 | 97.4 | 100.7 |
| 2023 | 97.1 | 98.0 |
| 2024 | 97.1 | 97.1 |
Goods
- Texas
- Maine
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Texas | Maine | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 97.1 | 100.2 |
| 2009 | 96.1 | 100.7 |
| 2010 | 98.1 | 98.1 |
| 2011 | 96.5 | 98.3 |
| 2012 | 97.6 | 99.0 |
| 2013 | 97.6 | 98.4 |
| 2014 | 97.4 | 98.2 |
| 2015 | 97.1 | 99.3 |
| 2016 | 98.4 | 98.9 |
| 2017 | 97.1 | 100.2 |
| 2018 | 97.1 | 100.9 |
| 2019 | 97.9 | 99.4 |
| 2020 | 98.2 | 99.5 |
| 2021 | 98.5 | 99.2 |
| 2022 | 97.2 | 101.1 |
| 2023 | 98.1 | 98.3 |
| 2024 | 98.1 | 97.2 |
Housing (rents)
- Texas
- Maine
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Texas | Maine | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 88.0 | 84.8 |
| 2009 | 88.2 | 86.0 |
| 2010 | 89.3 | 88.1 |
| 2011 | 89.7 | 84.9 |
| 2012 | 91.1 | 87.3 |
| 2013 | 91.4 | 89.8 |
| 2014 | 93.6 | 70.5 |
| 2015 | 94.0 | 77.0 |
| 2016 | 95.6 | 83.8 |
| 2017 | 95.2 | 79.2 |
| 2018 | 95.2 | 83.8 |
| 2019 | 95.8 | 71.5 |
| 2020 | 95.8 | 81.0 |
| 2021 | 95.6 | 80.9 |
| 2022 | 97.0 | 83.5 |
| 2023 | 97.5 | 80.4 |
| 2024 | 96.5 | 78.9 |
Utilities
- Texas
- Maine
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Texas | Maine | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 101.4 | 137.7 |
| 2009 | 96.2 | 136.8 |
| 2010 | 98.1 | 126.8 |
| 2011 | 94.4 | 125.5 |
| 2012 | 93.1 | 121.1 |
| 2013 | 95.7 | 117.9 |
| 2014 | 94.9 | 120.8 |
| 2015 | 91.1 | 121.4 |
| 2016 | 91.9 | 122.1 |
| 2017 | 88.0 | 124.1 |
| 2018 | 87.5 | 128.7 |
| 2019 | 87.7 | 131.9 |
| 2020 | 85.0 | 133.5 |
| 2021 | 86.2 | 128.0 |
| 2022 | 88.7 | 138.3 |
| 2023 | 92.4 | 148.2 |
| 2024 | 87.5 | 135.2 |
Other services
- Texas
- Maine
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Texas | Maine | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 100.0 | 100.9 |
| 2009 | 100.4 | 101.0 |
| 2010 | 100.3 | 99.8 |
| 2011 | 100.1 | 98.1 |
| 2012 | 100.4 | 98.4 |
| 2013 | 101.0 | 100.8 |
| 2014 | 101.1 | 96.7 |
| 2015 | 101.1 | 100.0 |
| 2016 | 99.0 | 100.4 |
| 2017 | 98.9 | 102.2 |
| 2018 | 99.8 | 99.6 |
| 2019 | 100.5 | 101.5 |
| 2020 | 101.3 | 102.8 |
| 2021 | 100.0 | 101.4 |
| 2022 | 98.2 | 106.1 |
| 2023 | 96.6 | 103.3 |
| 2024 | 97.1 | 103.2 |
What incomes buy in each state
Income per person after adjusting for prices: $57,480 in Maine, $58,219 in Texas
Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).
- Texas
- Maine
- United States
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.
Show the numbers
| Texas | Maine | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $46,068 | $42,139 | $45,816 |
| 2009 | $43,349 | $42,349 | $44,204 |
| 2010 | $44,078 | $43,135 | $44,808 |
| 2011 | $46,663 | $44,350 | $45,957 |
| 2012 | $47,554 | $43,691 | $46,796 |
| 2013 | $47,301 | $42,472 | $46,358 |
| 2014 | $48,959 | $45,839 | $47,661 |
| 2015 | $48,983 | $46,105 | $49,396 |
| 2016 | $47,686 | $46,395 | $49,828 |
| 2017 | $49,918 | $47,164 | $51,006 |
| 2018 | $51,551 | $47,996 | $52,242 |
| 2019 | $52,343 | $50,601 | $53,683 |
| 2020 | $53,181 | $53,173 | $56,514 |
| 2021 | $56,442 | $56,096 | $59,365 |
| 2022 | $56,452 | $52,743 | $57,104 |
| 2023 | $57,708 | $55,480 | $58,088 |
| 2024 | $58,219 | $57,480 | $59,195 |
More
- Cost of living in Texas
- Cost of living in Maine
- Reverse: moving from Maine to Texas
- All states ranked
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.