Best places to live in Texas
CityLedger tracks 23 Texas metros, led by Austin. Cost of living runs from about 84 to 103 against a U.S. average of 100. Every figure below is computed from public U.S. government data and links to a full profile.
CityLedger tracks 23 metros in Texas, the largest being the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metro Area (around 8,344,032 people). Across the state, median household income runs from $53,267 in Brownsville to $99,897 in Austin, and typical rent from $939 a month in Texarkana upward — a reminder that "Texas" is really several different housing and job markets, not one.
Texarkana has the lowest overall price level in the state (about 84 versus a U.S. average of 100), but the cheapest metro isn't always where money goes furthest. Adjusting income for local prices, Austin delivers the best real buying power — a cost-adjusted median of about $101,867.
Taxes shift the picture in ways a cost-of-living index alone misses: Texas has no state income tax, a real boost to take-home pay versus most states, and combined state and local sales tax averages about 8.2% (Tax Foundation). Our salary calculator folds federal, FICA, and Texas state tax into a single take-home figure for any metro here.
Austin earns the state's highest CityLedger livability score, 83/100; Austin is the fastest-growing, up 14.5% over the latest population estimate; Tyler carries the lowest natural-hazard loss rate, about $6 per $10,000 of property (FEMA). Open any metro below for the full, sourced breakdown behind these figures.
| Metro | Livability | Cost of living | Median income | Median rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | 83 | 98 | $99,897 | $1,784/mo |
| Midland, TX | 72 | 96 | $89,627 | $1,558/mo |
| Dallas, TX | 61 | 103 | $92,733 | $1,718/mo |
| Amarillo, TX | 49 | 92 | $69,595 | $1,097/mo |
| Tyler, TX | 49 | 92 | $76,087 | $1,272/mo |
| Sherman, TX | 49 | 94 | $72,260 | $1,482/mo |
| Odessa, TX | 48 | 94 | $78,058 | $1,337/mo |
| Waco, TX | 47 | 93 | $67,792 | $1,238/mo |
| Houston, TX | 46 | 99 | $81,417 | $1,469/mo |
| San Antonio, TX | 46 | 95 | $78,112 | $1,422/mo |
| College Station, TX | 44 | 91 | $61,983 | $1,195/mo |
| Wichita Falls, TX | 44 | 90 | $66,981 | $1,065/mo |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 43 | 93 | $68,650 | $1,293/mo |
| Abilene, TX | 43 | 90 | $63,390 | $1,173/mo |
| Lubbock, TX | 42 | 91 | $64,469 | $1,207/mo |
| Longview, TX | 37 | 89 | $65,711 | $1,091/mo |
| Laredo, TX | 37 | 87 | $60,580 | $1,056/mo |
| Killeen, TX | 35 | 91 | $68,465 | $1,283/mo |
| Texarkana, TX | 30 | 84 | $58,000 | $939/mo |
| El Paso, TX | 29 | 90 | $59,834 | $1,081/mo |
| Beaumont, TX | 28 | 90 | $65,775 | $1,134/mo |
| Brownsville, TX | 27 | 86 | $53,267 | $966/mo |
| McAllen, TX | 22 | 86 | $56,720 | $971/mo |
Browse every metro on the cities index or the rankings.
Living in Texas — frequently asked
- What is the most affordable metro in Texas?
- By overall price level, Texarkana is the most affordable metro in Texas, at about 84 against a U.S. average of 100 (BEA Regional Price Parities). Affordability also depends on local pay — see where a paycheck stretches furthest below.
- Where does a paycheck go furthest in Texas?
- Austin has the highest cost-adjusted income in Texas — a median of about $101,867 once local prices are factored in, meaning typical pay buys the most there.
- Does Texas have a state income tax?
- No. Texas has no state income tax, which raises take-home pay versus most states, though combined state and local sales tax still averages about 8.2%.
- Which Texas metro has the highest livability score?
- Austin, at 83/100 on CityLedger's livability score — a transparent blend of affordability, jobs, income, education, and commute, all from public data.