Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell → Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 100.1 to 98.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $725/mo.

-$2,777
BLS median salary lower in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
300 to 395
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
13.8:1 to 14.4:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$975
DOL infant care higher / yr in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 100.1 → 98.6
Rent Delta: -$725/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $725/mo cheaper rent (2BR)

Cons of Moving

  • - $3K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 100.1 to 98.6 (ratio 0.99), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $725/mo ($8,700/yr) from $1,820 in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell to $1,095 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands.

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands sits #248 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell is #277/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,777 lower ($72,107 → $69,330). Labor-market size: 2,837,930 tracked jobs at origin vs 3,246,270 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Georgia 68 (C, #10/51) vs Texas 65 (C, #19/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 100.1
RPP 98.6
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Rent (2BR)
$1,820/mo
$1,095/mo
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Wages
$72,107
$69,330
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
Crime
300 per 100K
395 per 100K
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
Schools
13.8:1
14.4:1
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
Childcare
$6,591/yr
$7,566/yr
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
Environment
2771 violations
35693 violations
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Georgia
68 C #10/51
Income tax
88
Property tax
74
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
48
Destination state · Texas
65 C #19/51
Income tax
100
Property tax
55
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
44

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell to see what you'd need to earn in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
-

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026