Moving to Texas from Oregon
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Oregon to Texas — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Oregon to Texas, you would find that Texas is 2.1% more expensive than Oregon. A $75,000 salary in Oregon would need to be roughly $73,147 in Texas to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Austin averages 79°F vs 64°F in Salem, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Oregon to Texas.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $73,147
To maintain the same standard of living in Texas
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 0.8% more
Groceries
pay 3.3% less
Transportation
pay 4.0% less
Housing
pay 0.7% more
Childcare
pay 15.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.2% less
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 8% less than cities in Oregon.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Oregon to Texas.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Oregon generally does better on safety, though Texas leads in property crime rate.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Oregon performs better than Texas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Texas generally does better on what about housing?, though Oregon leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Oregon performs better than Texas across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Oregon generally does better on employment & economy, though Texas leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Oregon 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Salem | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 52°/36°F (11°/2°C) | 65°/40°F (18°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/45°F (20°/7°C) | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 80°/51°F (27°/11°C) | 93°/70°F (34°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/38°F (12°/3°C) | 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
View all months
| Month | Salem | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°/35°F (8.7°/1.5°C) | 61°/37°F (15.9°/2.9°C) |
| Feb | 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.4°C) | 64°/39°F (17.6°/3.8°C) |
| Mar | 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.9°C) | 71°/45°F (21.6°/7.4°C) |
| Apr | 61°/40°F (16.2°/4.2°C) | 79°/55°F (25.9°/12.8°C) |
| May | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.1°C) | 85°/64°F (29.7°/17.7°C) |
| Jun | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.6°C) | 91°/70°F (32.8°/21.0°C) |
| Jul | 82°/53°F (27.8°/11.7°C) | 94°/72°F (34.7°/22.3°C) |
| Aug | 82°/53°F (28.0°/11.6°C) | 96°/72°F (35.4°/22.1°C) |
| Sep | 77°/48°F (24.9°/9.1°C) | 90°/67°F (32.3°/19.2°C) |
| Oct | 64°/42°F (17.8°/5.7°C) | 81°/57°F (27.3°/13.7°C) |
| Nov | 53°/38°F (11.4°/3.6°C) | 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.4°C) |
| Dec | 46°/34°F (7.9°/1.1°C) | 62°/38°F (16.5°/3.4°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Texas than Oregon?
Costs in Texas and Oregon are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to Texas?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $18,287 in Texas on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Texas safe?
Oregon generally does better on safety, though Texas leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Texas compared to Oregon?
Oregon performs better than Texas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Texas compared to Oregon?
The average high temperature in Austin is 79°F, compared to 64°F in Salem. Austin receives around 36.2 in of rainfall per year, while Salem gets 39.7 in.
