Relocation: Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 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.
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
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 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater (Monthly) | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands (Monthly) | Monthly Delta ($) | Difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (1BR Fair Market Rent) | $1,648 | $1,261 | -$387 | -23.5% |
| Food & Groceries | $376 | $321 | -$55 | -14.6% |
| Transportation | $950 | $1,015 | +$65 | +6.8% |
| Healthcare | $472 | $422 | -$50 | -10.6% |
| Other Necessities | $603 | $480 | -$123 | -20.4% |
| 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 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Median | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands Median | Nominal Wage Delta | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $103,670 | $119,600 | +$15,930 (+15.4%) | View Dossier |
| Registered Nurse (RN)Healthcare | Healthcare | $85,470 | $99,830 | +$14,360 (+16.8%) | View Dossier |
| Project Management SpecialistBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $97,780 | $99,510 | +$1,730 (+1.8%) | View Dossier |
| Accountant & AuditorFinance | Finance | $78,990 | $85,090 | +$6,100 (+7.7%) | View Dossier |
| Software EngineerTechnology | Technology | $130,450 | $129,440 | -$1,010 (-0.8%) | View Dossier |
| Financial ManagerFinance | Finance | $157,480 | $166,910 | +$9,430 (+6.0%) | View Dossier |
| ElectricianSkilled Trades | Skilled Trades | $57,450 | $59,180 | +$1,730 (+3.0%) | View Dossier |
| Sales ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $132,010 | $135,880 | +$3,870 (+2.9%) | View Dossier |
| Management AnalystBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $95,840 | $101,120 | +$5,280 (+5.5%) | View Dossier |
| Construction ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $120,800 | $103,530 | -$17,270 (-14.3%) | View Dossier |
| Industrial Machinery MechanicIndustrial Manufacturing | Industrial Manufacturing | $60,970 | $63,180 | +$2,210 (+3.6%) | View Dossier |
| Quality Control InspectorIndustrial Manufacturing | Industrial Manufacturing | $47,180 | $46,630 | -$550 (-1.2%) | 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
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Relocation FAQs
About $86,200. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (124.5 in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, 107.4 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: State Paychecks, Rents & Reciprocal Corridor
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 2026 federal, state & local income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents & EPI living costs. Official 2026 economic data for Relocation: Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL to Houston-Pasadena, TX compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.
Quick answers
About $86,200. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (124.5 in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, 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 13.8% lower in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX than in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. The budgets cover housing, food, transportation, health care and other necessities.