Moving from Appleton to Houston
You'd keep $50 more a month in Houston
+$600 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Appleton leftover
$3,097
a month after tax and rent
Houston leftover
$3,147
+$50 vs Appleton
| Per month | Appleton | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,917 | $7,956 | +$39 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,977 | $1,660 | −$317 |
| Take-home pay | $5,940 | $6,296 | +$356 |
| Rent | $923 | $1,199 | +$276 |
| Getting around | $551 | $572 | +$21 |
| Groceries | $378 | $380 | +$2 |
| Healthcare | $425 | $428 | +$3 |
| Utilities | $236 | $238 | +$2 |
| Everything else | $330 | $333 | +$3 |
| Left over | $3,097 | $3,147 | +$50 |
To break even in Houston, you'd need to earn
$94,500
Household gross, versus $95,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Appleton does now.
The tax difference alone
+$3,937
A year, in state and local income tax. Texas has no wage income tax.
More about Houston
Appleton, WI in full
State income tax topping out at 7.65%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,099 and 195 sunny days; commutes average 21 minutes.
Houston, TX in full
The cheapest housing of any top-10 metro, paid for in property tax and humidity.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Houston on Houston wages.
Houston → Appleton →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Houston than Appleton?
A one-bedroom is about $923 in Appleton versus $1,199 in Houston. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $50 a month higher in Houston. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Houston have state income tax?
Houston is in Texas, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Appleton to Houston?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Texas tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.