Relocation: Houston-Pasadena, TX to Salt Lake City Metro, UT
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 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
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
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT
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) | Salt Lake City-Murray (Monthly) | Monthly Delta ($) | Difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (1BR Fair Market Rent) | $1,261 | $1,349 | +$88 | +7.0% |
| Food & Groceries | $321 | $356 | +$35 | +10.9% |
| Transportation | $1,015 | $1,050 | +$35 | +3.4% |
| Healthcare | $422 | $485 | +$63 | +14.9% |
| Other Necessities | $480 | $496 | +$16 | +3.3% |
| Total Taxes (Federal, State, Local, FICA) | $1,735 | $2,110 | +$375 | +21.6% |
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 | Salt Lake City-Murray Median | Nominal Wage Delta | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $119,600 | $103,710 | -$15,890 (-13.3%) | View Dossier |
| Registered Nurse (RN)Healthcare | Healthcare | $99,830 | $85,890 | -$13,940 (-14.0%) | View Dossier |
| Project Management SpecialistBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $99,510 | $98,000 | -$1,510 (-1.5%) | View Dossier |
| Software EngineerTechnology | Technology | $129,440 | $129,600 | +$160 (+0.1%) | View Dossier |
| Accountant & AuditorFinance | Finance | $85,090 | $82,100 | -$2,990 (-3.5%) | View Dossier |
| ElectricianSkilled Trades | Skilled Trades | $59,180 | $62,620 | +$3,440 (+5.8%) | View Dossier |
| Financial ManagerFinance | Finance | $166,910 | $158,720 | -$8,190 (-4.9%) | View Dossier |
| Sales ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $135,880 | $143,930 | +$8,050 (+5.9%) | View Dossier |
| Industrial Machinery MechanicIndustrial Manufacturing | Industrial Manufacturing | $63,180 | $74,460 | +$11,280 (+17.9%) | View Dossier |
| Quality Control InspectorIndustrial Manufacturing | Industrial Manufacturing | $46,630 | $49,790 | +$3,160 (+6.8%) | View Dossier |
| Computer and Information Systems ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $172,160 | $160,810 | -$11,350 (-6.6%) | View Dossier |
| WelderSkilled Trades | Skilled Trades | $57,940 | $60,190 | +$2,250 (+3.9%) | 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 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT Relocation FAQs
About $111,300. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (107.4 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, 119.5 in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX to Salt Lake City-Murray, UT: State Paychecks, Rents & Reciprocal Corridor
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX to Salt Lake City-Murray, UT: 2026 federal, state & local income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents & EPI living costs compared on. Official 2026 economic data for Relocation: Houston-Pasadena, TX to Salt Lake City Metro, UT compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.
Quick answers
About $111,300. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (107.4 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, 119.5 in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
EPI's family budgets for a single adult put overall living costs 11.3% higher in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT than in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX. The budgets cover housing, food, transportation, health care and other necessities.