critical goods and services like groceries
(Texas doesn’t tax unprepared food items)
and housing – and we’ve got the stats to
prove it.
ACCRA is a national organization dedicated to economic development and policy
research, and it publishes an annual Cost
of Living Index that ranks a range of
living expenses in major cities. The index
measures differences between areas in the
cost of consumer goods and services, minus
taxes and non-consumer expenditures.
It also measures relative price levels
for consumer goods and services in
participating areas. The average for a
participating place—both metropolitan and
non-metro—is 100, and each city’s index is
read as a percentage of the average for all
places. See the chart on the opposite page
to see how Austin ranks against other large
metro areas, and you’ll see that it’s much
less expensive, in just about every category
measured, to hang your hat right here.
For example, when comparing the ACCRA
Cost of Living Index for the last several
years, housing in the Austin, Texas area has
consistently been one of the most affordable metropolitan markets in the U.S. With
an average 2016 housing score of 90. 4, the
Austin area is well below the U.S. average
of 100.
Whether you’re thinking about moving
here, or have just made the move, it’s easy
to see that the Austin area is a thriving
community that measures up not only with
its quality of life – but also with its affordability. And that’s good news from any
perspective.
FROM ONE PAYCHECK TO THE NEXT
Want to know how living in the Austin area compares to other cities?
Assuming a $60,000 salary in the city you’re moving from and that
you’d own a house here, we used a salary/cost of living calculator
to help figure out the rest.
If you made $60,000 in Detroit, for example, your salary could
decrease to $59,440 in Austin – and you’d still maintain the same
standard of living. See the table below for the results from a sampling
of other cities.
Moving From Here… You’d Need to Make…
Phoenix $58,709
Detroit $59,440
San Francisco $32, 173
Boston $39, 327
Denver $51,996
Miami $51,668
Pittsburgh $60, 189
Houston $59,378
Dallas $59,625
Seattle $39,381
Philadelphia $48,395
Atlanta $57, 300
Baton Rouge $61,415
New York City $33,431
Los Angeles $39,819
Chicago $48,354
Las Vegas $52, 329
Portland $45, 225
St. Louis $61,812
Raleigh $64,382
Cincinnati $62,013
