Beaumont-Port Arthur Modesto

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Beaumont-Port Arthur to Modesto is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 90.0 to 104.1 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $655/mo.

+$8,220
BLS median salary higher in Modesto
395 to 477
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14.7:1 to 21.5:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$10,354
DOL infant care higher / yr in Modesto

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: 90.0 → 104.1
Rent Delta: +$655/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $8K higher median salary
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - 14% higher cost of living
  • - $655/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More expensive childcare

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 90.0 to 104.1, so the same paycheck buys less in Modesto (ratio 1.16). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $655/mo ($7,860/yr) from $1,103 in Beaumont-Port Arthur to $1,758 in Modesto.

Beaumont-Port Arthur still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Modesto sits #375 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Beaumont-Port Arthur is #139/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $8,220 higher ($64,482 → $72,702). Labor-market size: 154,920 tracked jobs at origin vs 187,990 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
Beaumont-Port Arthur
Modesto
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 90.0
RPP 104.1
Beaumont-Port Arthur
Rent (2BR)
$1,103/mo
$1,758/mo
Beaumont-Port Arthur
Wages
$64,482
$72,702
Modesto
Crime
395 per 100K
477 per 100K
Beaumont-Port Arthur
Schools
14.7:1
21.5:1
Beaumont-Port Arthur
Childcare
$7,566/yr
$17,920/yr
Beaumont-Port Arthur
Environment
35693 violations
17705 violations
Modesto

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 Beaumont-Port Arthur to see what you'd need to earn in Modesto to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Modesto
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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