Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands New York-Newark-Jersey City

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands to New York-Newark-Jersey City is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 98.6 to 112.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $1,229/mo.

+$17,818
BLS median salary higher in New York-Newark-Jersey City
395 to 380
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14.7:1 to 11.8:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$6,303
DOL infant care higher / yr in New York-Newark-Jersey City

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
Neutral, depends on priorities
Cost Index: 98.6 → 112.6
Rent Delta: +$1,229/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $18K higher median salary
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - 14% higher cost of living
  • - $1229/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - More expensive childcare

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 98.6 to 112.6, so the same paycheck buys less in New York-Newark-Jersey City (ratio 1.14). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $1,229/mo ($14,748/yr) from $1,095 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands to $2,324 in New York-Newark-Jersey City.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. New York-Newark-Jersey City sits #344 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands is #248/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $17,818 higher ($69,330 → $87,148). Labor-market size: 3,246,270 tracked jobs at origin vs 9,414,820 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Texas scores 65 (C, #19/51) vs New York at 46 (F, #46/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
New York-Newark-Jersey City
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 98.6
RPP 112.6
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Rent (2BR)
$1,095/mo
$2,324/mo
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Wages
$69,330
$87,148
New York-Newark-Jersey City
Crime
395 per 100K
380 per 100K
New York-Newark-Jersey City
Schools
14.7:1
11.8:1
New York-Newark-Jersey City
Childcare
$7,566/yr
$13,869/yr
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Environment
35693 violations
5536 violations
New York-Newark-Jersey City

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 · New York
46 F #46/51
Income tax
80
Property tax
48
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
96

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 New York-Newark-Jersey City to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in New York-Newark-Jersey City
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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