Relocation profile · Federal data
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Cost of living, rent, wages, safety, schools and environment for Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos - every figure straight from federal data.
- 98.1
- Cost index (US=100)
- $1,852
- 2BR rent / mo
- $71,789
- Median salary
- 40.5
- LiveAbility Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos ranks #321 of 387 US metros on the LiveAbility Score (40.5/100), with its strongest marks in climate and job market.
- #321
- of 387 US metros · Below median
- 31,290,831
- metro-area population
- 395
- violent crimes per 100K (state-level)
- 9,061
- schools in the state (NCES)
Weakest dimension: low hazard (6/100). Weigh every dimension against your own priorities, use the City Finder to re-rank by what matters to you.
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and five other federal agencies, Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has a cost-of-living index of 98.1 (100 = national average), a median 2-bedroom rent of $1,852/mo, and a median salary of $71,789. Its composite LiveAbility Score is 40.5/100, ranking #321 of 387 U.S. metros, with its strongest marks in climate and job market.
How Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos ranks nationally
Where Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos's LiveAbility Score falls among all 387 US metros scored.
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has liveability score of 40.5. Distribution: 0 US metros at 0-10; 0 US metros at 10-20; 21 US metros at 20-30; 41 US metros at 30-40; 110 US metros at 40-50; 159 US metros at 50-60; 50 US metros at 60-70; 6 US metros at 70-80; 0 US metros at 80-90; 0 US metros at 90-100.
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX: BEA RPP 98.1 (US=100), HUD 2BR rent $1,852/mo, BLS median salary $71,789, FBI violent crime 395/100K (state), NCES 9,061 schools (state), composite Life Score 48.4/100 (D). Source methodology + Life Score formula →
Relocation decisions rarely hinge on a single number. A metro with high salaries but a steep cost of living can leave less disposable income than a cheaper market, and a low crime rate matters more to some households than school options or commute times. The composite Life Score blends federal cost, wage, safety, and education data into one comparable figure, but each underlying component is shown separately so you can weight what matters to your own situation. Read every metric against your priorities rather than chasing the highest headline score, and confirm the latest figures on the official source before you commit to a move.
Key Metrics
Housing & Rent
HUD Fair Market Rents for the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metropolitan area. Regional housing cost index: 120.4 (100 = national average).
Wages & Employment
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has 1,265,270 total employment with a median salary of $71,789.
Top Occupations by Employment
| Occupation | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | $117,850 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $29,310 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $43,720 |
| Software Developers | $134,120 |
| Retail Salespersons | $33,860 |
Schools & Education
State-level education data for the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos area from NCES.
Childcare Costs
State-average childcare costs for the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos area (DOL data).
Life Score Breakdown
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos's composite Life Score is 48.4/100 (D), computed across 7 dimensions.
LiveAbility Score
View full rankings →Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos ranks #321 out of 387 metros with a LiveAbility Score of 40.5/100 - a composite of 8 quality-of-life dimensions from federal data. Customize the weights to match your priorities →
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos - dimension scores
Percentile vs all US metros (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Climate
Climate
95 /100
- Job market
Job market
79 /100
- Schools
Schools
65 /100
- Safety 35
Safety
35 /100
- Cost of living 29
Cost of living
29 /100
- Air quality 15
Air quality
15 /100
- Housing 12
Housing
12 /100
- Low hazard 6
Low hazard
6 /100
What this shows Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos's strongest dimensions are climate and job market; its weakest is low hazard at 6/100. The composite weights cost 18%, jobs & housing 15% each, safety & schools 12%, air & hazard 10%, climate 8%.
Compare Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos To
Explore More Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Data
Dive deeper into specific dimensions for Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos with these specialized data portals.
💰
Cost of Living
BEA Regional Price Parities for Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos - goods, services, and rent price indexes compared to national average.
PlainCost →
🏠
Fair Market Rents
HUD Fair Market Rents by county near Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos - studio through 4-bedroom, with year-over-year trends.
PlainRent →
🏫
School Quality
NCES school data near Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos - enrollment, student-teacher ratios, Title I status, and chronic absenteeism.
PlainSchools →
💵
Salary Data
BLS occupational wage data for Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos - 830+ occupations with median and mean salaries.
WageDex →
📊
Metro Life Score
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos composite life score across 7 dimensions, cost, safety, schools, wages, weather, health, and environment.
PlainCompare →
🔓
Crime Data
FBI UCR crime statistics for cities near Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos - violent crime, property crime, and trends.
PlainCrime →
📍
ZIP Code Data
Census demographics, income, and housing data for ZIP codes near Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos.
PlainZIP →
Relocation Guides for Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Other Major Metro Areas
Explore relocation data for other major US metropolitan areas.
Compare Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Side-by-Side With Other Metros
This page is a relocation deep-dive on Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos - cost of living, rent, wages, safety, schools, and more. When you're narrowing a shortlist, a side-by-side comparison across the same dimensions is faster. Put Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos on the same scorecard as the metro you're weighing it against and see at a glance which move actually comes out ahead.
Thinking about Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
How to use this profile before you commit to a move.
- Pressure-test Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos against the metro you're weighing it against, same dimensions, side by side. Compare metros
- Check what your salary is actually worth here after the 98.1 cost-of-living index. Salary calculator
- Re-rank every US metro by the priorities that matter to you, turn up jobs, turn down climate. City Finder
Scores are federal-data percentiles, not a recommendation. Crime and schools use state-level data where metro-level isn't published. Always visit before you move.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
What is the median salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
How safe is Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
What are the schools like in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
How much does childcare cost in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Is Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos a good place to relocate?
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Related
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from BEA, HUD, BLS, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, and EPA. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP) - cost-of-living indices by metro and state. bea.gov/data/regional-price-parities
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - metro-level fair-market rent estimates. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) - wage estimates by metro. bls.gov/oes
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - crime statistics for safety scoring. fbi.gov/ucr
- NCES Common Core of Data - public-school quality indicators, state-level where metro-level isn't published. nces.ed.gov/ccd
- EPA AirNow + Air Quality System (AQS) - air-quality measurements, state-level where metro-level isn't published. epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic + housing characteristics. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
Verify with U.S. Census Bureau → · Verify with FEMA →
Every figure on PlainRelocate is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.