Relocation: Denver-Aurora, CO to Houston-Pasadena, TX
Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology
Income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents and EPI living costs for a move from Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
Interactive Purchasing Power Equivalency Workbench
Adjust your current salary at origin to dynamically compute the statutory tax burden, housing costs, and discretionary cash in both markets.
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Itemized Cost of Living Expenditure Arbitrage
Category-by-category breakdown of monthly baseline consumption between origin and destination.
| Expenditure Category | Denver-Aurora-Centennial (Monthly) | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands (Monthly) | Monthly Delta ($) | Difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (1BR Fair Market Rent) | $1,831 | $1,261 | -$570 | -31.1% |
| Food & Groceries | $384 | $321 | -$63 | -16.4% |
| Transportation | $1,047 | $1,015 | -$32 | -3.1% |
| Healthcare | $436 | $422 | -$14 | -3.2% |
| Other Necessities | $628 | $480 | -$148 | -23.6% |
| Total Taxes (Federal, State, Local, FICA) | $2,048 | $1,735 | -$313 | -15.3% |
HUD Fair Market Rent Differential
EPI Living Wage Benchmark Comparison
Top Local Occupations Wage Parity
BLS median wage comparisons across benchmark roles between both metropolitan labor markets.
| Occupation Title | Industry Sector | Denver-Aurora-Centennial Median | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands Median | Nominal Wage Delta | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $142,330 | $119,600 | -$22,730 (-16.0%) | View Dossier |
| Registered Nurse (RN)Healthcare | Healthcare | $101,130 | $99,830 | -$1,300 (-1.3%) | View Dossier |
| Project Management SpecialistBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $116,740 | $99,510 | -$17,230 (-14.8%) | View Dossier |
| Accountant & AuditorFinance | Finance | $100,020 | $85,090 | -$14,930 (-14.9%) | View Dossier |
| Software EngineerTechnology | Technology | $137,610 | $129,440 | -$8,170 (-5.9%) | View Dossier |
| ElectricianSkilled Trades | Skilled Trades | $63,150 | $59,180 | -$3,970 (-6.3%) | View Dossier |
| Financial ManagerFinance | Finance | $193,400 | $166,910 | -$26,490 (-13.7%) | View Dossier |
| Construction ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $128,850 | $103,530 | -$25,320 (-19.7%) | View Dossier |
| Sales ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $181,580 | $135,880 | -$45,700 (-25.2%) | View Dossier |
| Industrial Machinery MechanicIndustrial Manufacturing | Industrial Manufacturing | $76,990 | $63,180 | -$13,810 (-17.9%) | View Dossier |
| Computer and Information Systems ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $203,340 | $172,160 | -$31,180 (-15.3%) | View Dossier |
| Management AnalystBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $102,620 | $101,120 | -$1,500 (-1.5%) | View Dossier |
Major US Inter-Metro Relocation Corridors
Empirical cost differentials and statutory tax savings across high-volume migration routes.
On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $14,388 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $6,211 less tax and $17,676 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $4,805 less tax and $2,928 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $1,729 less tax and $19,884 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $4,113 less tax and $10,908 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $3,761 more tax and $4,188 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $1,299 less tax and $11,592 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $7,296 less 1BR rent a year
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Relocation FAQs
About $78,300. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (137.1 in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, 107.4 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: State Paychecks, Rents & Reciprocal Corridor
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 2026 federal, state & local income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents & EPI living costs compared. Official 2026 economic data for Relocation: Denver-Aurora, CO to Houston-Pasadena, TX compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.
Quick answers
About $78,300. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (137.1 in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, 107.4 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
EPI's family budgets for a single adult put overall living costs 21.7% lower in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX than in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO. The budgets cover housing, food, transportation, health care and other necessities.