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

Texas vs Pennsylvania: 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 Pennsylvania?

  • Overall, living costs in Pennsylvania 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 $75,400 in Pennsylvania, before taxes.
  • Housing is 11.8% lower in Pennsylvania, goods 1.3% higher and other services 2.8% higher, which roughly cancel out.
  • Utility prices (electricity, gas, water) are 24.9% higher in Pennsylvania.
  • After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $58,620 in Pennsylvania and $58,219 in Texas (about the same; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
  • Inside each state, metro price levels run from 85.9 in Johnstown, PA to 102.6 in Philadelphia, PA (Pennsylvania) and from 83.8 in Eagle Pass, TX to 103.1 in Dallas, TX (Texas), 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 Texas and Pennsylvania

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

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

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

Show the numbers
TexasPennsylvania
All items97.197.6
Goods98.199.4
Housing (rents)96.585.1
Utilities87.5109.3
Other services97.199.8
CategoryTexasPennsylvaniaPennsylvania vs Texas
All items97.197.6+0.5%
Goods98.199.4+1.3%
Housing (rents)96.585.1−11.8%
Utilities87.5109.3+24.9%
Other services97.199.8+2.8%
Income per person, adjusted for prices $58,219 $58,620 +0.7%
Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026* $3.70 $4.31 +16.4%
Salary to match $75,000 in Texas $75,000 $75,400 +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

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

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

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 Pennsylvania has narrowed since 2008: 2.1 points then, 0.5 now

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

  • Texas
  • Pennsylvania
US average = 100

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

Show the numbers
TexasPennsylvania
200897.199.2
200996.799.5
201097.798.9
201197.098.4
201297.798.0
201398.197.8
201498.497.2
201598.398.1
201698.197.8
201797.499.1
201897.898.2
201998.598.0
202098.897.7
202198.496.1
202297.496.3
202397.197.4
202497.197.6

Goods

  • Texas
  • Pennsylvania
US = 100

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

Show the numbers
TexasPennsylvania
200897.1101.8
200996.1101.7
201098.199.9
201196.5100.4
201297.699.7
201397.698.2
201497.498.4
201597.1100.5
201698.4100.3
201797.199.9
201897.199.7
201997.997.1
202098.297.4
202198.595.3
202297.296.9
202398.198.4
202498.199.4

Housing (rents)

  • Texas
  • Pennsylvania
US = 100

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

Show the numbers
TexasPennsylvania
200888.086.6
200988.286.8
201089.388.5
201189.788.7
201291.188.1
201391.489.0
201493.688.7
201594.088.9
201695.687.9
201795.287.9
201895.287.7
201995.886.5
202095.886.8
202195.686.7
202297.086.4
202397.585.8
202496.585.1

Utilities

  • Texas
  • Pennsylvania
US = 100

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

Show the numbers
TexasPennsylvania
2008101.4109.0
200996.2111.9
201098.1110.3
201194.4113.7
201293.1110.1
201395.7110.4
201494.9102.3
201591.1103.6
201691.9105.3
201788.0108.4
201887.5111.4
201987.7112.6
202085.0109.0
202186.2106.1
202288.7109.8
202392.4118.3
202487.5109.3

Other services

  • Texas
  • Pennsylvania
US = 100

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

Show the numbers
TexasPennsylvania
2008100.0100.8
2009100.4101.4
2010100.3101.0
2011100.199.4
2012100.499.3
2013101.099.6
2014101.198.7
2015101.199.2
201699.098.8
201798.9101.5
201899.899.6
2019100.5101.2
2020101.3101.1
2021100.099.2
202298.298.2
202396.699.4
202497.199.8

What incomes buy in each state

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

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

  • Texas
  • Pennsylvania
  • United States

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

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