College Station-Bryan Montgomery

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Neutral — Depends on Priorities
Cost Index: 91.0 → 89.7
Rent Delta: -$170/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $170/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $4K lower median salary
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios

Moving from College Station-Bryan to Montgomery shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 91.0 to 89.7 (100 = US average), so a College Station-Bryan salary needs to be multiplied by 0.99 to hold the same purchasing power in Montgomery. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,186/month in College Station-Bryan to $1,016/month in Montgomery - a lower monthly bill of $170, or $2,040/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 $62,191 in College Station-Bryan versus $58,388 in Montgomery - a raw gap of $3,803 lower. The Montgomery labor market has 157,200 tracked jobs against 118,500 in College Station-Bryan, 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 College Station-Bryan and Montgomery are 395 and 376 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 14.7:1 at origin versus 17.7:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $7,566/year in College Station-Bryan versus $6,896/year in Montgomery. Our composite verdict - Neutral — Depends on Priorities - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
College Station-Bryan
Montgomery
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 91.0
RPP 89.7
Montgomery
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,186/mo
$1,016/mo
Montgomery
💼 Wages
$62,191
$58,388
College Station-Bryan
🔒 Crime
395 per 100K
376 per 100K
Montgomery
🎓 Schools
14.7:1
17.7:1
College Station-Bryan
👶 Childcare
$7,566/yr
$6,896/yr
Montgomery
🌿 Environment
33822 violations
485 violations
Montgomery

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in College Station-Bryan to see what you'd need to earn in Montgomery to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Montgomery
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Montgomery more expensive than College Station-Bryan?
Montgomery has an RPP of 89.7 compared to College Station-Bryan's 91.0 (100 = national average). College Station-Bryan is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Montgomery is $1,016/mo vs $1,186/mo in College Station-Bryan.
What are salaries like in Montgomery compared to College Station-Bryan?
The median salary in Montgomery is $58,388 compared to $62,191 in College Station-Bryan. That's a -$3,803 difference.
Is Montgomery safer than College Station-Bryan?
The violent crime rate near Montgomery is 376 per 100K vs 395 per 100K near College Station-Bryan (state-level data). Montgomery has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Montgomery to match my College Station-Bryan salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your College Station-Bryan salary by 0.99. For example, a $75,000 salary in College Station-Bryan would need to be $73,954 in Montgomery. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Neutral — Depends on Priorities" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Neutral — Depends on Priorities" means both metros are roughly equivalent across the 7 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)