Moving to Texas from Utah

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Utah to Texas — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Utah to Texas, you would find that Texas is 5.3% more expensive than Utah. A $75,000 salary in Utah would need to be roughly $74,199 in Texas to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Austin averages 79°F vs 64°F in Salt Lake City, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Utah to Texas.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $74,199

To maintain the same standard of living in Texas

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 7.9% more

Groceries

pay 0.7% more

Transportation

pay 2.8% less

Housing

pay 3.8% more

Childcare

pay 23.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 1.3% more

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.

Key Indicator Comparison

How Utah and Texas stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

UT
224
TX
391
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

UT
1576
TX
2153

Utah performs better than Texas across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

UT
8.1%
TX
16.0%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

UT
32.3%
TX
36.8%

Utah performs better than Texas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

UT
$455,000
TX
$260,400
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

UT
$1,405
TX
$1,339

Texas generally does better on what about housing?, though Utah leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

UT
92.9%
TX
90.1%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

UT
22 min
TX
27 min

Utah performs better than Texas across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

UT
3.5%
TX
3.9%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

UT
$66,207
TX
$70,071

Utah generally does better on employment & economy, though Texas leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

UT
78.6 yrs
TX
76.5 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

UT
21%
TX
20%

Utah 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.

Salt Lake CityRain: 16.1 in/yr (409 mm)
64°/42°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsSalt Lake CityAustin
Jan–Mar45°/27°F (7°/-3°C)65°/40°F (18°/5°C)
Apr–Jun72°/48°F (22°/9°C)85°/63°F (29°/17°C)
Jul–Sep87°/60°F (31°/16°C)93°/70°F (34°/21°C)
Oct–Dec51°/32°F (10°/0°C)71°/47°F (22°/8°C)
View all months
MonthSalt Lake CityAustin
Jan37°/22°F (3.0°/-5.8°C)61°/37°F (15.9°/2.9°C)
Feb43°/25°F (6.2°/-3.8°C)64°/39°F (17.6°/3.8°C)
Mar54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C)71°/45°F (21.6°/7.4°C)
Apr62°/40°F (16.4°/4.2°C)79°/55°F (25.9°/12.8°C)
May72°/48°F (22.2°/8.8°C)85°/64°F (29.7°/17.7°C)
Jun83°/56°F (28.3°/13.6°C)91°/70°F (32.8°/21.0°C)
Jul93°/65°F (33.7°/18.2°C)94°/72°F (34.7°/22.3°C)
Aug90°/63°F (32.5°/17.4°C)96°/72°F (35.4°/22.1°C)
Sep79°/53°F (26.2°/11.7°C)90°/67°F (32.3°/19.2°C)
Oct65°/41°F (18.2°/5.2°C)81°/57°F (27.3°/13.7°C)
Nov49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.8°C)71°/47°F (21.4°/8.4°C)
Dec38°/23°F (3.3°/-5.2°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 Utah?

Headline costs are within a few percent between Texas and Utah; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.

How much money do I need to move to Texas?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $18,550 in Texas for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Texas safe?

Utah performs better than Texas across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Texas compared to Utah?

Utah performs better than Texas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Texas compared to Utah?

The average high temperature in Austin is 79°F, compared to 64°F in Salt Lake City. Austin receives around 36.2 in of rainfall per year, while Salt Lake City gets 16.1 in.

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