Moving from California to Texas

The typical home in Texas costs $355,765, against $725,000 in California. That's a mortgage of $1,955 a month instead of $3,984: $2,029 less every month, $24,349 a year. To keep the lifestyle $150,000 buys in California, you would need about $131,490 in Texas.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 4, 2026.

$2,029Less each month on the typical home^1,2On the mortgage
$706 lessDifference in 2-bedroom rent³Utilities included
$131,490Matches $150,000 in California⁴Same lifestyle, local prices
NoneTexas income tax⁵On wages, 2026

California vs Texas: the numbers

Side by side, from the mortgage to the tax on your paycheck.^1,4,5

Measure	California	Texas
Typical home for sale	$725,000	$355,765
Monthly mortgage on it	$3,984	$1,955
2-bedroom rent	$2,239	$1,533
Everyday prices	11% above avg	3% below avg
Housing costs	54% above avg	3% below avg
Income tax on wages, 2026	Up to 13.3%	No tax on wages

Texas cities, priced against California

The 7 Texas metros we cover, cheapest first, with what you keep each month on the mortgage.^1,2,3

City	Typical home	Monthly mortgage	Less than California	2-bedroom rent
McAllen	$258,750	$1,422	$2,562/mo	$1,030
Texarkana	$275,000	$1,511	$2,473/mo	$1,006
El Paso	$314,987	$1,731	$2,253/mo	$1,100
San Antonio	$320,374	$1,761	$2,224/mo	$1,460
Houston	$353,995	$1,945	$2,039/mo	$1,562
Dallas-Fort Worth	$422,495	$2,322	$1,662/mo	$1,794
Austin	$446,450	$2,453	$1,531/mo	$1,836

What else changes when you move to Texas

Texas gained 67,299 more residents from other states than it lost between July 2024 and July 2025 (US Census Bureau estimates).

Taxes: Texas does not tax wages; California tops out at 13.3% (2026, married filing jointly). Property and sales taxes differ too; each state page has them where we track them.

Relocation incentives: 1 town or county in Texas pay people to move there. See every program.

After you move: Texas deadlines

New residents get a set number of days to switch their license and register their car.

Driver's license: within 90 days of becoming a resident^source.
Vehicle registration: within 30 days^source.

The full order of tasks is in our moving out of state checklist, and what the move itself costs is in how much it costs to move out of state (HireAHelper, 2026).

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Questions people ask

Is it cheaper to live in Texas than California?

Yes. Everyday prices, rent included, run 12% lower in Texas than in the California by BEA's regional price parities (97.1 against 110.7, US = 100, 2024).

What salary in Texas matches $150,000 in California?

About $131,490, using BEA regional price parities for Texas (97.1) and the California (110.7), 2024. Taxes are not included; see the tax comparison on this page.

How much would I save on housing moving from California to Texas?

On the median listed home, principal and interest drop from $3,984 to $1,955 a month ($2,029 less), with 20% down at 7.32% (Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026; Freddie Mac). Median rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,533 against $2,239 (Census ACS 2025).

Does Texas have a state income tax?

No. Texas does not tax wages (Tax Foundation, State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026 (Feb 17, 2026), 2026).

How much does it cost to move from California to Texas?

Nobody publishes an average for this route. HireAHelper's 2026 long-distance estimates for a 2 to 3 bedroom home run from $533 to $728 for a rental truck you load yourself to $2,910 to $4,569 for full-service movers, before distance pushes the price up. Get three written estimates for the same inventory; federal rules cap what an interstate mover can demand at delivery at 110% of a non-binding estimate (FMCSA).

More moves from California

Notes on the numbers

1Home prices: the typical home is the median listing price, Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026. California values are statewide; Texas values are statewide.
2Monthly mortgage: Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA. Rate source
3Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, median gross rent for 2-bedroom units (rent plus utilities). Census table
4Everyday prices, housing costs and the matching salary: BEA regional price parities, 2024, compared with the US average.
5Income tax: state revenue departments, 2026 rates for married couples filing jointly. Details on our state income tax comparison.

Sources for this page