Washington-Arlington-Alexandria → San Antonio-New Braunfels

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Washington-Arlington-Alexandria to San Antonio-New Braunfels is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 108.9 to 94.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $1,148/mo.

-$13,811
BLS median salary lower in San Antonio-New Braunfels
1015 to 395
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
11:1 to 14.4:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$17,914
DOL infant care lower / yr in San Antonio-New Braunfels

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: 108.9 → 94.7
Rent Delta: -$1,148/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 14% lower cost of living
  • + $1148/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + More affordable childcare

Cons of Moving

  • - $14K lower median salary
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 108.9 to 94.7, so each dollar covers more in San Antonio-New Braunfels (ratio 0.87). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $1,148/mo ($13,776/yr) from $2,246 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria to $1,098 in San Antonio-New Braunfels.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. San Antonio-New Braunfels sits #222 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria is #110/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $13,811 lower ($82,744 → $68,933). Labor-market size: 3,082,600 tracked jobs at origin vs 1,113,320 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: District of Columbia 61 (C, #26/51) vs Texas 65 (C, #19/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 108.9
RPP 94.7
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Rent (2BR)
$2,246/mo
$1,098/mo
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Wages
$82,744
$68,933
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Crime
1015 per 100K
395 per 100K
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Schools
11:1
14.4:1
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Childcare
$25,480/yr
$7,566/yr
San Antonio-New Braunfels
Environment
38 violations
35693 violations
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria

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 · District of Columbia
61 C #26/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
72
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
90
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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria to see what you'd need to earn in San Antonio-New Braunfels to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in San Antonio-New Braunfels
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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