St. George Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from St. George to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 97.3 to 98.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $480/mo.

+$10,420
BLS median salary higher in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
229 to 395
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
21.4:1 to 14.7:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$4,262
DOL infant care lower / yr in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands

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
Favorable
Cost Index: 97.3 → 98.6
Rent Delta: -$480/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $480/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + $10K higher median salary
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + More affordable childcare

Cons of Moving

  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 97.3 to 98.6 (ratio 1.01), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $480/mo ($5,760/yr) from $1,575 in St. George to $1,095 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands sits #248 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). St. George is #311/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $10,420 higher ($58,910 → $69,330). Labor-market size: 83,630 tracked jobs at origin vs 3,246,270 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Texas scores 65 (C, #19/51) vs Utah at 53 (D, #40/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
St. George
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 97.3
RPP 98.6
St. George
Rent (2BR)
$1,575/mo
$1,095/mo
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Wages
$58,910
$69,330
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Crime
229 per 100K
395 per 100K
St. George
Schools
21.4:1
14.7:1
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Childcare
$11,828/yr
$7,566/yr
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Environment
1172 violations
35693 violations
St. George

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 · Utah
53 D #40/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
83
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
0
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 St. George 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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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