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State cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP

Cost of Living in Texas

Statewide Regional Price Parities for Texas from the Bureau of Economic Analysis — overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100, across 26 metro areas.

97.1
Statewide RPP
#25
of 51 states by cost
96.5
Rents RPP
26
Metro areas

The verdict

Texas costs less than 49% of U.S. states — a statewide index of 97.1, 2.9% below the national average.

97.1
statewide cost index (US average = 100)
#25
of 51 states by overall cost
bottom 51%
nationally, among all states
96.5
rents RPP — the biggest budget swing

A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $103,032 when earned in Texas.

Reading the Texas Cost of Living Picture

The Bureau of Economic Analysis places Texas's statewide Regional Price Parity at 97.1 for the 2024 data year, 2.9% less expensive the U.S. baseline of 100. Inside the headline figure, the state's categories sit near average, while services offer the biggest relief at 87.5. That internal spread — rather than the single state number — is what determines whether a household actually feels priced in or priced out.

Texas captures 26 metro areas in the BEA dataset, and the range across them is meaningful. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX leads on cost at 103.1, while Eagle Pass, TX sits at the opposite end at 83.8 — a gap of 19.3 index points inside a single state. For goods the state indexes at 98.1, for services 87.5, and for rents 96.5 — the rent figure tends to be the most volatile input and deserves its own line-item review before any relocation decision.

Over time, Texas's statewide index has held steady within 0.0 points, suggesting a stable competitive position against other states. Practically, this means a $100,000 national salary delivers the purchasing power of about $103,032 of national buying power when earned inside Texas, and a household relocating here would need roughly $97,057 to reproduce a $100K lifestyle. Pair these numbers with metro-specific wage data and rent tables before treating the statewide figure as your planning assumption.

97.1
Overall
98.1
Goods
87.5
Services
96.5
Rents

Texas vs every U.S. state

Where this state sits in the national cost distribution

97 Top 49% higher than 51% of 51 US states

84–87: 2 US states (4%). Below this entry. 87–90: 7 US states (14%). Below this entry. 90–93: 8 US states (16%). Below this entry. 93–96: 6 US states (12%). Below this entry. 96–99: 8 US states (16%). This entry sits in this band. 99–102: 5 US states (10%). Above this entry. 102–105: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 105–108: 3 US states (6%). Above this entry. 108–111: 4 US states (8%). Above this entry. 111–114: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. 114–117: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. This state 84 117 every US state (incl. DC), bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities · 2024

Most Expensive in Texas → Cheapest in Texas →

Metro areas in Texas, ranked by cost

# Metro area OverallGoodsServicesRents
1 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 103.1 102.8 90.7 117.9
2 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands 98.6 100.6 95.3 104.5
3 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos 98.1 93.8 82.0 120.4
4 Midland 95.8 93.8 83.2 101.5
5 San Antonio-New Braunfels 94.7 93.8 82.2 94.6
6 Odessa 93.9 93.8 82.9 89.7
7 Sherman-Denison 93.8 93.8 83.3 89.5
8 Corpus Christi 92.7 93.8 81.0 84.9
9 Waco 92.5 93.8 81.0 83.5
10 San Angelo 92.5 93.8 81.6 81.4
11 Tyler 92.2 93.8 82.9 79.9
12 Amarillo 91.8 93.8 83.5 78.4
13 Lubbock 91.3 93.8 82.8 76.4
14 Killeen-Temple 91.1 93.8 81.2 77.9
15 College Station-Bryan 91.0 93.8 84.4 75.1
16 Abilene 90.4 93.8 81.2 73.8
17 Beaumont-Port Arthur 90.0 93.8 83.1 70.9
18 El Paso 89.9 93.8 82.6 71.2
19 Victoria 89.8 93.8 85.3 69.3
20 Wichita Falls 89.5 93.8 84.1 68.2
21 Longview 89.5 93.8 83.5 66.7
22 Laredo 87.0 93.8 80.6 59.7
23 Brownsville-Harlingen 86.0 93.8 81.2 57.7
24 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 85.9 93.8 81.2 55.9
25 Texarkana 84.0 93.7 79.3 49.9
26 Eagle Pass 83.8 93.8 81.9 53.7

The Rents RPP index measures housing costs relative to the national average (100). For the federal 40th-percentile Fair Market Rent by bedroom size and county, see the HUD Fair Market Rents dataset.

RPP History

Year Overall
2008 97.1
2009 96.7
2010 97.7
2011 97.0
2012 97.7
2013 98.1
2014 98.4
2015 98.3
2016 98.1
2017 97.4
2018 97.8
2019 98.5
2020 98.8
2021 98.4
2022 97.4
2023 97.1
2024 97.1

What this means in Texas

The statewide index is a starting point — cost varies metro to metro within Texas.

  • Don't rely on the state figure alone: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (103.1) and Eagle Pass (83.8) sit 19 index points apart inside Texas. Check your specific metro.
  • Rents index at 96.5 (3.5% below average) — the largest swing in the RPP. Review the housing line before any relocation decision. Highest rents
  • Weighing Texas against another state? Convert your salary to local purchasing power first. Salary calculator

RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark (national average = 100) for the data year shown — pair it with local wages and current rents before deciding.

Cost of Living Guides

Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026
Official BEA data on the most affordable areas
Most Expensive Cities: 2026 Rankings
What drives high costs and how to cope
Cost of Living vs Wages
Where your dollar goes furthest
Understanding Regional Price Parities
How BEA constructs RPP data

View all guides →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Texas? ▼
Texas has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 97.1, meaning it is 2.9% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 98.1, services at 87.5, and rents at 96.5.
What salary in Texas equals $100K nationally? ▼
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $97,057 in Texas. Conversely, $100K earned in Texas has the purchasing power of $103,032 at the national average.
Is housing expensive in Texas? ▼
Rents in Texas are indexed at 96.5, which is 3.5% below the national average. Housing costs are close to the national average.
Which is the most expensive metro in Texas? ▼
The most expensive metro area in Texas is Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX with an RPP of 103.1. The most affordable is Eagle Pass, TX at 83.8. There are 26 metro areas in Texas with BEA price data.
Is Texas getting more expensive? ▼
From 2008 to 2024, Texas's overall cost index changed by +-0.0 points (from 97.1 to 97.1). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.