Houston, TX vs New York City, NY: sales tax compared
Quick answer
New York City, NY is the higher-tax metro at 8.875%, versus 8.25% in Houston, TX. The 0.625% gap works out to $0.63 on a $100 purchase, $6.25 on $1,000 and $156.25 on a $25,000 purchase.
- Rate gap
- 0.625%Percentage points, combined rate
- Extra tax on $1,000
- $6.25Paid in New York City
- Extra tax on $25,000
- $156.25Vehicle-sized purchase
Houston, TX
Harris County
8.25%
Combined rate · ranked #36 of 94 covered metros
| Level | Jurisdiction | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| state | Texas state | 6.25% |
| city | City of Houston | 1% |
| special district | Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County | 1% |
- Population
- 2,314,157
- Median household income
- $62,894
Texas caps combined local rates at 2%, and Houston uses all of it — 1% city plus 1% METRO — so no additional district can be layered on.
New York City, NY
New York County
8.875%
Combined rate · ranked #19 of 94 covered metros
| Level | Jurisdiction | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| state | New York state | 4% |
| city | New York City local rate | 4.5% |
| special district | Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District | 0.375% |
- Population
- 8,258,035
- Median household income
- $79,713
Clothing and footwear under $110 per item are exempt from both the state and city portions in New York City — an exemption no other large US city matches.
How the difference is calculated
Same arithmetic the calculator on every page runs.
Each combined rate is the sum of its listed state, county, city and special-district components — no rounding is applied before the total. The dollar gap is the rate difference (0.625%) applied to the pre-tax amount: 0.625% of $1,000 is $6.25. Neither figure includes product-specific exemptions; groceries, clothing and digital goods can be taxed at a different rate or not at all, which is covered on each state's rules page.
Questions people ask
Direct answers to the questions this comparison raises.
Which has a higher sales tax rate, Houston or New York City?
New York City, NY at 8.875%, versus 8.25% in Houston, TX.
How much more sales tax would I pay in New York City on a $1,000 purchase?
About $6.25 more, and roughly $156.25 more on a $25,000 vehicle-sized purchase.
Why do Houston and New York City have different rates?
The state share is 6.25% in TX and 4% in NY. The rest comes from county, city and special-district increments stacked on top, which are set locally and listed in full on this page.
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