Denver-Aurora-Centennial Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Favorable
Cost Index: 105.8 → 98.1
Rent Delta: -$237/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 8% lower cost of living
  • + $237/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + More affordable childcare

Cons of Moving

  • - $7K lower median salary
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from Denver-Aurora-Centennial to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 105.8 to 98.1 (100 = US average), so a Denver-Aurora-Centennial salary needs to be multiplied by 0.93 to hold the same purchasing power in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $2,089/month in Denver-Aurora-Centennial to $1,852/month in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos - a lower monthly bill of $237, or $2,844/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 $78,519 in Denver-Aurora-Centennial versus $71,789 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos - a raw gap of $6,730 lower. The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos labor market has 1,265,270 tracked jobs against 1,580,940 in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos are 481 and 395 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 16.6:1 at origin versus 14.7:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $12,821/year in Denver-Aurora-Centennial versus $7,566/year in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos. Our composite verdict - Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Denver-Aurora-Centennial
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 105.8
RPP 98.1
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$2,089/mo
$1,852/mo
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
💼 Wages
$78,519
$71,789
Denver-Aurora-Centennial
🔒 Crime
481 per 100K
395 per 100K
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
🎓 Schools
16.6:1
14.7:1
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
👶 Childcare
$12,821/yr
$7,566/yr
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
🌿 Environment
5332 violations
33822 violations
Denver-Aurora-Centennial

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial to see what you'd need to earn in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos more expensive than Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has an RPP of 98.1 compared to Denver-Aurora-Centennial's 105.8 (100 = national average). Denver-Aurora-Centennial is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is $1,852/mo vs $2,089/mo in Denver-Aurora-Centennial.
What are salaries like in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos compared to Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
The median salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is $71,789 compared to $78,519 in Denver-Aurora-Centennial. That's a -$6,730 difference.
Is Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos safer than Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
The violent crime rate near Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is 395 per 100K vs 481 per 100K near Denver-Aurora-Centennial (state-level data). Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos to match my Denver-Aurora-Centennial salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Denver-Aurora-Centennial salary by 0.93. For example, a $75,000 salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial would need to be $69,529 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Favorable" means the destination edges ahead on balance. 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)