with $100k coming in, swapping out of Philadelphia
changea dispatch from
houston
TX
29.76°N
95.37°W
Houston has no zoning laws (you'll see a taco truck next to a mansion next to a strip mall), the most diverse food scene in America by most rankings, and NASA's mission control out on the edge of town. The Texas Medical Center is the largest in the world. It's sprawling and culturally enormous, with a Vietnamese pho district, Nigerian jollof spots, and a Tex-Mex scene that takes itself seriously. Bigger than you think, in every direction.
in our guides
the verdict
cheaper each month than Philadelphia
Houston is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
a quick ledger.
$1,610/mo
14% cheaper than Philadelphia(vs $1,869/mo)
0%
$568/mo less in state tax than Philadelphia
vs 6.82% in Philadelphia
$6,723/mo
$827 more than Philadelphia
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$311k
21% cheaper than Philadelphia
vs $393k in Philadelphia
7.5M
vs 6.2M in Philadelphia
field notes, weather & such.
171
pleasant days a year, in houston.
Philadelphia has the edge here, logging 173 pleasant days a year. The trade is summer: 54 days above 95°, vs 2 in Philadelphia.
About as much going on as in Philadelphia.
55/100
20% lower than Philadelphia
vs 69/100 in Philadelphia
Closest outdoor draw: Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center, 14.6 mi.
77/100
23% lower than Philadelphia
vs 100/100 in Philadelphia
176
44% more than Philadelphia
vs 122 nonstops in Philadelphia
neighbors of houston on the map of tradeoffs:
compare houston with:
