Pueblo Abilene

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Pueblo to Abilene is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 91.8 to 90.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $7/mo.

-$8,430
BLS median salary lower in Abilene
481 to 395
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
16.6:1 to 14.7:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$5,255
DOL infant care lower / yr in Abilene

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
Neutral, depends on priorities
Cost Index: 91.8 → 90.4
Rent Delta: +$7/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + More affordable childcare

Cons of Moving

  • - $8K lower median salary
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 91.8 to 90.4 (ratio 0.98), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent barely moves ($1,269 → $1,276); the housing line is not the swing factor on this corridor.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Abilene sits #237 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Pueblo is #323/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $8,430 lower ($66,083 → $57,653). Labor-market size: 55,270 tracked jobs at origin vs 68,490 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Texas scores 65 (C, #19/51) vs Colorado at 46 (F, #44/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Pueblo
Abilene
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 91.8
RPP 90.4
Abilene
Rent (2BR)
$1,269/mo
$1,276/mo
Pueblo
Wages
$66,083
$57,653
Pueblo
Crime
481 per 100K
395 per 100K
Abilene
Schools
16.6:1
14.7:1
Abilene
Childcare
$12,821/yr
$7,566/yr
Abilene
Environment
5561 violations
35693 violations
Pueblo

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 · Colorado
46 F #44/51
Income tax
80
Property tax
90
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
26
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 Pueblo to see what you'd need to earn in Abilene to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Abilene
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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