Birmingham San Antonio-New Braunfels

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Birmingham to San Antonio-New Braunfels is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 91.6 to 94.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $168/mo.

+$5,696
BLS median salary higher in San Antonio-New Braunfels
376 to 395
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.7:1 to 14.7:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$670
DOL infant care higher / yr in San Antonio-New Braunfels

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
Favorable
Cost Index: 91.6 → 94.7
Rent Delta: -$168/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $168/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + $6K higher median salary
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - 3% higher cost of living
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 91.6 to 94.7 (ratio 1.03), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $168/mo ($2,016/yr) from $1,266 in Birmingham to $1,098 in San Antonio-New Braunfels.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. San Antonio-New Braunfels sits #222 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Birmingham is #217/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $5,696 higher ($63,237 → $68,933). Labor-market size: 497,490 tracked jobs at origin vs 1,113,320 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Alabama scores 75 (B, #5/51) vs Texas at 65 (C, #19/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Birmingham
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 91.6
RPP 94.7
Birmingham
Rent (2BR)
$1,266/mo
$1,098/mo
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Wages
$63,237
$68,933
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Crime
376 per 100K
395 per 100K
Birmingham
Schools
17.7:1
14.7:1
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Childcare
$6,896/yr
$7,566/yr
Birmingham
Environment
538 violations
35693 violations
Birmingham

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 · Alabama
75 B #5/51
Income tax
90
Property tax
92
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
20
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 Birmingham to see what you'd need to earn in San Antonio-New Braunfels to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in San Antonio-New Braunfels
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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