Joplin → Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Joplin to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 85.7 to 98.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $218/mo.
- +$11,633
- BLS median salary higher in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
- 463 to 395
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 12.8:1 to 14.7:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
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.
Pros of Moving
- + $12K higher median salary
Cons of Moving
- - 13% higher cost of living
- - $218/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
- - More environmental violations
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 85.7 to 98.6, so the same paycheck buys less in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands (ratio 1.15). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $218/mo ($2,616/yr) from $877 in Joplin to $1,095 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (2 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands sits #248 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Joplin is #32/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $11,633 higher ($57,697 → $69,330). Labor-market size: 77,720 tracked jobs at origin vs 3,246,270 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Missouri 68 (C, #12/51) vs Texas 65 (C, #19/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 82
- Property tax
- 68
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 80
- Income tax
- 100
- Property tax
- 55
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 44
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 Joplin to see what you'd need to earn in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands to maintain the same purchasing power.
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
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