Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 102.6 → 98.1
Rent Delta: +$42/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 4% lower cost of living

Cons of Moving

  • - $2K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 102.6 to 98.1 (100 = US average), so a Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington salary needs to be multiplied by 0.96 to hold the same purchasing power in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,810/month in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington to $1,852/month in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos - a higher monthly bill of $42, or $504/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 $74,260 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington versus $71,789 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos - a raw gap of $2,471 lower. The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos labor market has 1,265,270 tracked jobs against 2,874,190 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos are 250 and 395 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 13.6:1 at origin versus 14.7:1 at destination. Our composite verdict - Unfavorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 102.6
RPP 98.1
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,810/mo
$1,852/mo
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
💼 Wages
$74,260
$71,789
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
🔒 Crime
250 per 100K
395 per 100K
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
🎓 Schools
13.6:1
14.7:1
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
👶 Childcare
N/A
$7,566/yr
Tie
🌿 Environment
5198 violations
33822 violations
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington to see what you'd need to earn in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos more expensive than Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has an RPP of 98.1 compared to Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington's 102.6 (100 = national average). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is $1,852/mo vs $1,810/mo in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington.
What are salaries like in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos compared to Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
The median salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is $71,789 compared to $74,260 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington. That's a -$2,471 difference.
Is Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos safer than Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
The violent crime rate near Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is 395 per 100K vs 250 per 100K near Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (state-level data). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos to match my Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington salary by 0.96. For example, a $75,000 salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington would need to be $71,718 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Unfavorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Unfavorable" means the origin clearly wins on most dimensions. 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)