Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington → San Antonio-New Braunfels

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington to San Antonio-New Braunfels is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 102.6 to 94.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $712/mo.

-$5,327
BLS median salary lower in San Antonio-New Braunfels
250 to 395
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
13:1 to 14.4:1
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.

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 102.6 → 94.7
Rent Delta: -$712/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 8% lower cost of living
  • + $712/mo cheaper rent (2BR)

Cons of Moving

  • - $5K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 102.6 to 94.7, so each dollar covers more in San Antonio-New Braunfels (ratio 0.92). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $712/mo ($8,544/yr) from $1,810 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington to $1,098 in San Antonio-New Braunfels.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (2 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. San Antonio-New Braunfels sits #222 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington is #279/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $5,327 lower ($74,260 → $68,933). Labor-market size: 2,874,190 tracked jobs at origin vs 1,113,320 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Pennsylvania 65 (C, #18/51) vs Texas 65 (C, #19/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 102.6
RPP 94.7
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Rent (2BR)
$1,810/mo
$1,098/mo
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Wages
$74,260
$68,933
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Crime
250 per 100K
395 per 100K
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Schools
13:1
14.4:1
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Childcare
N/A
$7,566/yr
Tie
Environment
5292 violations
35693 violations
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington

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 · Pennsylvania
65 C #18/51
Income tax
95
Property tax
58
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
72
Destination 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 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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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