Relocation: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX to Memphis, TN-MS-AR
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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX to Memphis, TN-MS-AR.
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.
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Itemized Cost of Living Expenditure Arbitrage
Category-by-category breakdown of monthly baseline consumption between origin and destination.
| Expenditure Category | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands (Monthly) | Memphis (Monthly) | Monthly Delta ($) | Difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (1BR Fair Market Rent) | $1,261 | $1,191 | -$70 | -5.6% |
| Food & Groceries | $321 | $362 | +$41 | +12.8% |
| Transportation | $1,015 | $1,039 | +$24 | +2.4% |
| Healthcare | $422 | $487 | +$65 | +15.4% |
| Other Necessities | $480 | $456 | -$24 | -5.0% |
| Total Taxes (Federal, State, Local, FICA) | $1,735 | $1,735 | $0 | 0.0% |
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 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands Median | Memphis Median | Nominal Wage Delta | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $119,600 | $102,510 | -$17,090 (-14.3%) | View Dossier |
| Registered Nurse (RN)Healthcare | Healthcare | $99,830 | $81,500 | -$18,330 (-18.4%) | View Dossier |
| Project Management SpecialistBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $99,510 | $85,130 | -$14,380 (-14.5%) | View Dossier |
| Accountant & AuditorFinance | Finance | $85,090 | $76,960 | -$8,130 (-9.6%) | View Dossier |
| Software EngineerTechnology | Technology | $129,440 | $125,580 | -$3,860 (-3.0%) | View Dossier |
| ElectricianSkilled Trades | Skilled Trades | $59,180 | $60,890 | +$1,710 (+2.9%) | View Dossier |
| Financial ManagerFinance | Finance | $166,910 | $143,880 | -$23,030 (-13.8%) | View Dossier |
| Industrial Machinery MechanicIndustrial Manufacturing | Industrial Manufacturing | $63,180 | $64,570 | +$1,390 (+2.2%) | View Dossier |
| Quality Control InspectorIndustrial Manufacturing | Industrial Manufacturing | $46,630 | $44,910 | -$1,720 (-3.7%) | View Dossier |
| Sales ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $135,880 | $128,560 | -$7,320 (-5.4%) | View Dossier |
| WelderSkilled Trades | Skilled Trades | $57,940 | $48,600 | -$9,340 (-16.1%) | View Dossier |
| Construction ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $103,530 | $107,710 | +$4,180 (+4.0%) | 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
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX to Memphis, TN-MS-AR Relocation FAQs
About $99,500. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (107.4 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, 106.9 in Memphis, TN-MS-AR, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX to Memphis, TN-MS-AR: State Paychecks, Rents & Reciprocal Corridor
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX to Memphis, TN-MS-AR: 2026 federal, state & local income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents & EPI living costs compared on the same. Official 2026 economic data for Relocation: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX to Memphis, TN-MS-AR compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.
Quick answers
About $99,500. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (107.4 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, 106.9 in Memphis, TN-MS-AR, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
EPI's family budgets for a single adult put overall living costs 0.5% lower in Memphis, TN-MS-AR than in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX. The budgets cover housing, food, transportation, health care and other necessities.