Chattanooga San Antonio-New Braunfels

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Chattanooga to San Antonio-New Braunfels is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 91.5 to 94.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $292/mo.

+$7,077
BLS median salary higher in San Antonio-New Braunfels
602 to 395
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
15.3:1 to 14.7:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$294
DOL infant care lower / 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: 91.5 → 94.7
Rent Delta: -$292/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $292/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + $7K higher median salary
  • + Lower violent crime rate

Cons of Moving

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

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 91.5 to 94.7 (ratio 1.04), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $292/mo ($3,504/yr) from $1,390 in Chattanooga to $1,098 in San Antonio-New Braunfels.

San Antonio-New Braunfels leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, a destination-heavy ledger. San Antonio-New Braunfels sits #222 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Chattanooga is #334/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $7,077 higher ($61,856 → $68,933). Labor-market size: 261,210 tracked jobs at origin vs 1,113,320 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Tennessee 66 (C, #17/51) vs Texas 65 (C, #19/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Chattanooga
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 91.5
RPP 94.7
Chattanooga
Rent (2BR)
$1,390/mo
$1,098/mo
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Wages
$61,856
$68,933
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Crime
602 per 100K
395 per 100K
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Schools
15.3:1
14.7:1
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Childcare
$7,860/yr
$7,566/yr
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Environment
1192 violations
35693 violations
Chattanooga

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 · Tennessee
66 C #17/51
Income tax
100
Property tax
80
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
36
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 Chattanooga 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
-

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