Moving to Texas from New York

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from New York to Texas — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from New York to Texas, you would find that Texas is 12.6% cheaper than New York. A $75,000 salary in New York would need to be roughly $62,654 in Texas to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Austin averages 79°F vs 58°F in Albany, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from New York to Texas.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $62,654

To maintain the same standard of living in Texas

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 1.6% less

Groceries

pay 18.7% less

Transportation

pay 15.4% less

Housing

pay 7.4% less

Childcare

pay 26.9% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 20.2% less

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Texas cost about 16% less than cities in New York.

New York

Queens 73%
Ithaca 62%

Texas

Dallas 68%
Plano 64%
Houston 63%

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from New York to Texas.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NY
381
TX
391
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NY
1760
TX
2153

New York performs better than Texas across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

NY
5.0%
TX
16.0%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NY
29.9%
TX
36.8%

New York performs better than Texas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

NY
$403,000
TX
$260,400
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NY
$1,576
TX
$1,339

Texas performs significantly better than New York across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

NY
89.7%
TX
90.1%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NY
33 min
TX
27 min

Texas performs significantly better than New York across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NY
4.4%
TX
3.9%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NY
$91,992
TX
$70,071

New York generally does better on employment & economy, though Texas leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

NY
77.7 yrs
TX
76.5 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

NY
28%
TX
20%

New York performs better than Texas across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Albany Rain: 39.4 in/yr (1000 mm)
58° / 39°F

Avg. annual high / low

Austin Rain: 36.2 in/yr (920 mm)
79° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Albany Austin
Jan–Mar 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C) 65°/40°F (18°/5°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) 85°/63°F (29°/17°C)
Jul–Sep 78°/58°F (26°/14°C) 93°/70°F (34°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) 71°/47°F (22°/8°C)
View all months
Month Albany Austin
Jan 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C) 61°/37°F (15.9°/2.9°C)
Feb 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C) 64°/39°F (17.6°/3.8°C)
Mar 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C) 71°/45°F (21.6°/7.4°C)
Apr 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C) 79°/55°F (25.9°/12.8°C)
May 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C) 85°/64°F (29.7°/17.7°C)
Jun 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C) 91°/70°F (32.8°/21.0°C)
Jul 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C) 94°/72°F (34.7°/22.3°C)
Aug 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C) 96°/72°F (35.4°/22.1°C)
Sep 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C) 90°/67°F (32.3°/19.2°C)
Oct 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C) 81°/57°F (27.3°/13.7°C)
Nov 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C) 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.4°C)
Dec 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°C) 62°/38°F (16.5°/3.4°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Texas than New York?

Yes — Texas is on average about 16% cheaper than New York. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to Texas?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $15,664 in Texas on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Texas safe?

New York performs better than Texas across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Texas compared to New York?

New York performs better than Texas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Texas compared to New York?

The average high temperature in Austin is 79°F, compared to 58°F in Albany. Austin receives around 36.2 in of rainfall per year, while Albany gets 39.4 in.

Share this