Moving from New York to Texas

The typical home in Texas costs $355,765, against $742,000 in the New York metro. That's a mortgage of $1,955 a month instead of $4,078: $2,123 less every month, $25,470 a year. To keep the lifestyle $150,000 buys in New York, you would need about $129,337 in Texas.

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

$2,123Less each month on the typical home^1,2On the mortgage
$464 lessDifference in 2-bedroom rent³Utilities included
$129,337Matches $150,000 in New York⁴Same lifestyle, local prices
NoneTexas income tax⁵On wages, 2026

New York vs Texas: the numbers

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

Measure	New York	Texas
Typical home for sale	$742,000	$355,765
Monthly mortgage on it	$4,078	$1,955
2-bedroom rent	$1,997	$1,533
Everyday prices	13% above avg	3% below avg
Housing costs	49% above avg	3% below avg
Income tax on wages, 2026	Up to 10.9%, plus New York City up to 3.876%	No tax on wages

Texas cities, priced against New York

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 New York	2-bedroom rent
McAllen	$258,750	$1,422	$2,656/mo	$1,030
Texarkana	$275,000	$1,511	$2,566/mo	$1,006
El Paso	$314,987	$1,731	$2,347/mo	$1,100
San Antonio	$320,374	$1,761	$2,317/mo	$1,460
Houston	$353,995	$1,945	$2,132/mo	$1,562
Dallas-Fort Worth	$422,495	$2,322	$1,756/mo	$1,794
Austin	$446,450	$2,453	$1,624/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).

The New York metro lost 168,105 more residents to the rest of the country than it gained over the same year (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025).

Taxes: Texas does not tax wages; New York tops out at 10.9%, plus New York City up to 3.876% (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 New York?

Yes. Everyday prices, rent included, run 14% lower in Texas than in the New York metro by BEA's regional price parities (97.1 against 112.6, US = 100, 2024).

What salary in Texas matches $150,000 in New York?

About $129,337, using BEA regional price parities for Texas (97.1) and the New York metro (112.6), 2024. Taxes are not included; see the tax comparison on this page.

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

On the median listed home, principal and interest drop from $4,078 to $1,955 a month ($2,123 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 $1,997 (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 New York 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 New York

Notes on the numbers

1Home prices: the typical home is the median listing price, Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026. New York values are for the whole metro area; 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