Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos → Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos to Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 98.1 to 106.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $349/mo.

+$4,865
BLS median salary higher in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
395 to 477
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14.4:1 to 20.8:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$10,354
DOL infant care higher / yr in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario

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
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 98.1 → 106.4
Rent Delta: +$349/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $5K higher median salary
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - 8% higher cost of living
  • - $349/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More expensive childcare

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 98.1 to 106.4, so the same paycheck buys less in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (ratio 1.09). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $349/mo ($4,188/yr) from $1,852 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos to $2,201 in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario.

Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario sits #385 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is #321/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $4,865 higher ($71,789 → $76,654). Labor-market size: 1,265,270 tracked jobs at origin vs 1,694,510 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Texas scores 65 (C, #19/51) vs California at 40 (F, #50/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 98.1
RPP 106.4
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Rent (2BR)
$1,852/mo
$2,201/mo
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Wages
$71,789
$76,654
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
Crime
395 per 100K
477 per 100K
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Schools
14.4:1
20.8:1
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Childcare
$7,566/yr
$17,920/yr
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Environment
35693 violations
17705 violations
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario

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 · Texas
65 C #19/51
Income tax
100
Property tax
55
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
44
Destination state · California
40 F #50/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
72
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
4

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 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos to see what you'd need to earn in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
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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