San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Favorable
Cost Index: 115.6 → 98.1
Rent Delta: -$1,060/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 18% lower cost of living
  • + $1060/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + More affordable childcare

Cons of Moving

  • - $24K lower median salary
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 115.6 to 98.1 (100 = US average), so a San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont salary needs to be multiplied by 0.85 to hold the same purchasing power in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $2,912/month in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont to $1,852/month in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos - a lower monthly bill of $1,060, or $12,720/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 $95,708 in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont versus $71,789 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos - a raw gap of $23,919 lower. The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos labor market has 1,265,270 tracked jobs against 2,339,300 in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, 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 Francisco-Oakland-Fremont and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos are 477 and 395 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 21.5:1 at origin versus 14.7:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $17,920/year in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont versus $7,566/year in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos. Our composite verdict - Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 115.6
RPP 98.1
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$2,912/mo
$1,852/mo
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
💼 Wages
$95,708
$71,789
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
🔒 Crime
477 per 100K
395 per 100K
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
🎓 Schools
21.5:1
14.7:1
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
👶 Childcare
$17,920/yr
$7,566/yr
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
🌿 Environment
17550 violations
33822 violations
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont to see what you'd need to earn in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos more expensive than San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has an RPP of 98.1 compared to San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont's 115.6 (100 = national average). San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is $1,852/mo vs $2,912/mo in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont.
What are salaries like in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos compared to San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
The median salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is $71,789 compared to $95,708 in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont. That's a -$23,919 difference.
Is Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos safer than San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
The violent crime rate near Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is 395 per 100K vs 477 per 100K near San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont (state-level data). Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos to match my San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont salary by 0.85. For example, a $75,000 salary in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont would need to be $63,617 in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Favorable" means the destination 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)