San Antonio-New Braunfels Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 94.7 → 98.6
Rent Delta: -$3/mo

Cons of Moving

  • - 4% higher cost of living

Moving from San Antonio-New Braunfels to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 94.7 to 98.6 (100 = US average), so a San Antonio-New Braunfels salary needs to be multiplied by 1.04 to hold the same purchasing power in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,098/month in San Antonio-New Braunfels to $1,095/month in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands - a lower monthly bill of $3, or $36/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 $68,933 in San Antonio-New Braunfels versus $69,330 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands - a raw gap of $397 higher. The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands labor market has 3,246,270 tracked jobs against 1,113,320 in San Antonio-New Braunfels, 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 San Antonio-New Braunfels and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands are 395 and 395 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 14.7:1 at origin versus 14.7:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $7,566/year in San Antonio-New Braunfels versus $7,566/year in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands. Our composite verdict - Less Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 94.7
RPP 98.6
San Antonio-New Braunfels
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,098/mo
$1,095/mo
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
💼 Wages
$68,933
$69,330
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
🔒 Crime
395 per 100K
395 per 100K
Tie
🎓 Schools
14.7:1
14.7:1
Tie
👶 Childcare
$7,566/yr
$7,566/yr
Tie
🌿 Environment
33822 violations
33822 violations
Tie

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in San Antonio-New Braunfels to see what you'd need to earn in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands more expensive than San Antonio-New Braunfels?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands has an RPP of 98.6 compared to San Antonio-New Braunfels's 94.7 (100 = national average). Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands is $1,095/mo vs $1,098/mo in San Antonio-New Braunfels.
What are salaries like in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compared to San Antonio-New Braunfels?
The median salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands is $69,330 compared to $68,933 in San Antonio-New Braunfels. That's a +$397 difference.
Is Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands safer than San Antonio-New Braunfels?
The violent crime rate near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands is 395 per 100K vs 395 per 100K near San Antonio-New Braunfels (state-level data). Both areas have similar crime rates.
How much would I need to earn in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands to match my San Antonio-New Braunfels salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your San Antonio-New Braunfels salary by 1.04. For example, a $75,000 salary in San Antonio-New Braunfels would need to be $78,098 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Less Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Less Favorable" means the origin edges ahead on balance. 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)