San Angelo → Merced
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from San Angelo to Merced is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.5 to 98.3 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $164/mo.
- +$14,365
- BLS median salary higher in Merced
- 395 to 477
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 14.7:1 to 21.5:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $10,354
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Merced
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
- + $14K higher median salary
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - 6% higher cost of living
- - $164/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - Higher violent crime rate
- - Higher student-teacher ratios
- - More expensive childcare
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 92.5 to 98.3, so the same paycheck buys less in Merced (ratio 1.06). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $164/mo ($1,968/yr) from $1,339 in San Angelo to $1,503 in Merced.
San Angelo still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Merced sits #370 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). San Angelo is #312/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $14,365 higher ($54,384 → $68,749). Labor-market size: 43,790 tracked jobs at origin vs 72,870 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Texas scores 65 (C, #19/51) vs California at 40 (F, #50/51). 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
- Income tax
- 70
- Property tax
- 72
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 4
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 San Angelo to see what you'd need to earn in Merced to maintain the same purchasing power.
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