San Antonio-New Braunfels Birmingham

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from San Antonio-New Braunfels to Birmingham is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 94.7 to 91.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $168/mo.

-$5,696
BLS median salary lower in Birmingham
395 to 376
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14.7:1 to 17.7:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$670
DOL infant care lower / yr in Birmingham

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: 94.7 → 91.6
Rent Delta: +$168/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 3% lower cost of living
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $168/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - $6K lower median salary
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 94.7 to 91.6 (ratio 0.97), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $168/mo ($2,016/yr) from $1,098 in San Antonio-New Braunfels to $1,266 in Birmingham.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Birmingham sits #217 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). San Antonio-New Braunfels is #222/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $5,696 lower ($68,933 → $63,237). Labor-market size: 1,113,320 tracked jobs at origin vs 497,490 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Alabama scores 75 (B, #5/51) vs Texas at 65 (C, #19/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Birmingham
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 94.7
RPP 91.6
Birmingham
Rent (2BR)
$1,098/mo
$1,266/mo
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Wages
$68,933
$63,237
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Crime
395 per 100K
376 per 100K
Birmingham
Schools
14.7:1
17.7:1
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Childcare
$7,566/yr
$6,896/yr
Birmingham
Environment
35693 violations
538 violations
Birmingham

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 · Texas
65 C #19/51
Income tax
100
Property tax
55
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
44
Destination state · Alabama
75 B #5/51
Income tax
90
Property tax
92
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
20

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 Antonio-New Braunfels to see what you'd need to earn in Birmingham to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Birmingham
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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