Median rent is 7% lower in Bloomington ($1,609/mo vs $1,729/mo). Buying is cheaper in Bloomington, where the median home runs $469,200 versus $555,300. Households earn more in Austin ($93,658 vs $81,640 a year).
City A
Austin, TX
City B
Bloomington, CA
How much would you need to earn in Bloomington, CA to maintain your standard of living from Austin, TX?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each city's metro area. A rough estimate of overall purchasing power, not tax or take-home pay.
Metric
Austin
Texas
Bloomington
California
👥Population
💰Median Household Income
Annual
🏠Median Gross Rent
Per month
🏡Median Home Value
📊Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
🔑1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🔑2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🔑3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🌬️Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
🏛️Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
🧾State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
🎂Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Bloomington at $1,609/mo compared to $1,729/mo in Austin (7% gap). Median home values are within 16% of each other: $555,300 in Austin and $469,200 in Bloomington.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Austin
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Bloomington
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Air quality data is available for Austin (avg AQI 65.0) but not yet for Bloomington.
Pick Austin if you prioritize higher median household income ($93,658/yr).
Is Austin cheaper than Bloomington?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Austin vs Bloomington?
Median rent is $1,729/mo in Austin, TX and $1,609/mo in Bloomington, CA. Bloomington, CA has the lower rent by about 7%.
Which has higher salaries — Austin or Bloomington?
Median household income is $93,658 in Austin, TX and $81,640 in Bloomington, CA. Austin, TX has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Air quality data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Which has lower taxes — Austin or Bloomington?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Bloomington to match my Austin income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
