Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands San Antonio-New Braunfels

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Favorable
Cost Index: 98.6 → 94.7
Rent Delta: +$3/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 4% lower cost of living

Moving from Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands to San Antonio-New Braunfels shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 98.6 to 94.7 (100 = US average), so a Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands salary needs to be multiplied by 0.96 to hold the same purchasing power in San Antonio-New Braunfels. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,095/month in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands to $1,098/month in San Antonio-New Braunfels - a higher monthly bill of $3, or $36/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 $69,330 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands versus $68,933 in San Antonio-New Braunfels - a raw gap of $397 lower. The San Antonio-New Braunfels labor market has 1,113,320 tracked jobs against 3,246,270 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands and San Antonio-New Braunfels are 395 and 395 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 14.7:1 at origin versus 14.7:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $7,566/year in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands versus $7,566/year in San Antonio-New Braunfels. Our composite verdict - Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 98.6
RPP 94.7
San Antonio-New Braunfels
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,095/mo
$1,098/mo
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
💼 Wages
$69,330
$68,933
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
🔒 Crime
395 per 100K
395 per 100K
Tie
🎓 Schools
14.7:1
14.7:1
Tie
👶 Childcare
$7,566/yr
$7,566/yr
Tie
🌿 Environment
33822 violations
33822 violations
Tie

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands 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
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is San Antonio-New Braunfels more expensive than Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
San Antonio-New Braunfels has an RPP of 94.7 compared to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands's 98.6 (100 = national average). Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in San Antonio-New Braunfels is $1,098/mo vs $1,095/mo in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands.
What are salaries like in San Antonio-New Braunfels compared to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The median salary in San Antonio-New Braunfels is $68,933 compared to $69,330 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands. That's a -$397 difference.
Is San Antonio-New Braunfels safer than Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The violent crime rate near San Antonio-New Braunfels is 395 per 100K vs 395 per 100K near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands (state-level data). Both areas have similar crime rates.
How much would I need to earn in San Antonio-New Braunfels to match my Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands salary by 0.96. For example, a $75,000 salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands would need to be $72,024 in San Antonio-New Braunfels. 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)