Median rent is 17% lower in Austin ($1,729/mo vs $2,085/mo). Buying is cheaper in San Tan Valley, where the median home runs $410,100 versus $555,300. Households earn more in San Tan Valley ($96,713 vs $93,658 a year).
City A
Austin, TX
City B
San Tan Valley, AZ
How much would you need to earn in San Tan Valley, AZ 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 metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Austin
Texas
San Tan Valley
Arizona
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: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Austin at $1,729/mo compared to $2,085/mo in San Tan Valley (17% gap). Home buyers face a steeper market in Austin: the median home is $555,300 versus $410,100 in San Tan Valley — 26% more expensive.
Metric
Austin
San Tan Valley
Software Developer
Registered Nurse
Elementary Teacher
Electrician
Accountant
Higher wage highlighted · 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
San Tan Valley
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Air quality data is available for Austin (avg AQI 65.0) but not yet for San Tan Valley.
Pick Austin if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,729/mo median).
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Median rent is $1,729/mo in Austin, TX and $2,085/mo in San Tan Valley, AZ. Austin, TX has the lower rent by about 17%.
Median household income is $93,658 in Austin, TX and $96,713 in San Tan Valley, AZ. San Tan Valley, AZ has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Air quality data is not yet available for one or both cities.
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: June 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
