Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 98.1 → 113.6
Rent Delta: +$749/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $10K higher median salary
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - 16% higher cost of living
  • - $749/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More expensive childcare

Moving from Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos to Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 98.1 to 113.6 (100 = US average), so a Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos salary needs to be multiplied by 1.16 to hold the same purchasing power in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,852/month in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos to $2,601/month in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim - a higher monthly bill of $749, or $8,988/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $71,789 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos versus $82,276 in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim - a raw gap of $10,487 higher. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim labor market has 6,167,970 tracked jobs against 1,265,270 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim are 395 and 477 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 14.7:1 at origin versus 21.5:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $7,566/year in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos versus $17,920/year in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim. Our composite verdict - Unfavorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 98.1
RPP 113.6
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,852/mo
$2,601/mo
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
💼 Wages
$71,789
$82,276
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
🔒 Crime
395 per 100K
477 per 100K
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
🎓 Schools
14.7:1
21.5:1
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
👶 Childcare
$7,566/yr
$17,920/yr
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
🌿 Environment
33822 violations
17550 violations
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos to see what you'd need to earn in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim more expensive than Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim has an RPP of 113.6 compared to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos's 98.1 (100 = national average). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim is $2,601/mo vs $1,852/mo in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos.
What are salaries like in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim compared to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
The median salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim is $82,276 compared to $71,789 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos. That's a +$10,487 difference.
Is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim safer than Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
The violent crime rate near Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim is 477 per 100K vs 395 per 100K near Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos (state-level data). Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim to match my Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos salary by 1.16. For example, a $75,000 salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos would need to be $86,854 in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Unfavorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Unfavorable" means the origin clearly wins on most dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)