Odessa → McAllen-Edinburg-Mission
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Odessa to McAllen-Edinburg-Mission is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 93.9 to 85.9 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $535/mo.
- -$7,542
- BLS median salary lower in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission
- 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission
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
- + 8% lower cost of living
- + $535/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
Cons of Moving
- - $8K lower median salary
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 93.9 to 85.9, so each dollar covers more in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission (ratio 0.91). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $535/mo ($6,420/yr) from $1,595 in Odessa to $1,060 in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (2 destination wins · 1 origin wins); priorities decide this move. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission sits #242 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Odessa is #289/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $7,542 lower ($62,946 → $55,404). Labor-market size: 73,580 tracked jobs at origin vs 289,460 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.
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
- 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 Odessa to see what you'd need to earn in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission to maintain the same purchasing power.
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 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