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 | Schenectady | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,038/mo | 19.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $140,000 | 67.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $54,650 | 10.6% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 99.8 | 100.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 98.7 | 123.6 | 20.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 97.2 | 1.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.2 | 99.8 | 5.6% 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 $100,573 in Schenectady to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 0.6% cheaper overall than Schenectady, NY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in Schenectady than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $80,459 in Schenectady to keep the same standard of living.