City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Houston | Kingsport | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $772/mo | 60.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $181,600 | 29.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $48,228 | 25.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 97.0 | 2.9% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 98.7 | 81.6 | 20.9% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 97.2 | 1.2% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.2 | 95.5 | 1.4% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Houston, you'd need $79,406 in Kingsport to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Kingsport, TN is about 20.6% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 44% lower in Kingsport than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $63,525 in Kingsport to keep the same standard of living.