Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands → Detroit-Warren-Dearborn

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands to Detroit-Warren-Dearborn is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 98.6 to 100.3 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $316/mo.

+$1,973
BLS median salary higher in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
395 to 431
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14.4:1 to 16.7:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$122
DOL infant care lower / yr in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn

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
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 98.6 → 100.3
Rent Delta: +$316/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $316/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 98.6 to 100.3 (ratio 1.02), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $316/mo ($3,792/yr) from $1,095 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands to $1,411 in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn sits #346 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands is #248/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $1,973 higher ($69,330 → $71,303). Labor-market size: 3,246,270 tracked jobs at origin vs 1,883,860 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Texas scores 65 (C, #19/51) vs Michigan at 49 (F, #42/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 98.6
RPP 100.3
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Rent (2BR)
$1,095/mo
$1,411/mo
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Wages
$69,330
$71,303
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
Crime
395 per 100K
431 per 100K
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Schools
14.4:1
16.7:1
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Childcare
$7,566/yr
$7,444/yr
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
Environment
35693 violations
1120 violations
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn

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 · Michigan
49 F #42/51
Income tax
72
Property tax
59
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
16

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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands to see what you'd need to earn in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
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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