McAllen-Edinburg-Mission Odessa

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from McAllen-Edinburg-Mission to Odessa is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 85.9 to 93.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $535/mo.

+$7,542
BLS median salary higher in Odessa
395 to 395
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14.7:1 to 14.7:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$0
DOL infant care higher / yr in Odessa

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: 85.9 → 93.9
Rent Delta: +$535/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $8K higher median salary

Cons of Moving

  • - 8% higher cost of living
  • - $535/mo more expensive rent (2BR)

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 85.9 to 93.9, so the same paycheck buys less in Odessa (ratio 1.09). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $535/mo ($6,420/yr) from $1,060 in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission to $1,595 in Odessa.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (1 destination wins · 2 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Odessa sits #289 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). McAllen-Edinburg-Mission is #242/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $7,542 higher ($55,404 → $62,946). Labor-market size: 289,460 tracked jobs at origin vs 73,580 at destination.

Both metros sit in Texas: state retirement score 65 (C, #19/51) - tax posture does not change with this move. Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission
Odessa
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 85.9
RPP 93.9
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission
Rent (2BR)
$1,060/mo
$1,595/mo
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission
Wages
$55,404
$62,946
Odessa
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
35693 violations
35693 violations
Tie

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

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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission to see what you'd need to earn in Odessa to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Odessa
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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