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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $30K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market. We ran the numbers on 40 cities in Texas using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Amarillo comes ou…
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amarillo | $1,245 | 50% | 89 | Details |
| 2 | Mcallen | $1,272 | 51% | 91 | Details |
| 3 | Beaumont | $1,275 | 51% | 88 | Details |
| 4 | Killeen | $1,280 | 51% | 90 | Details |
| 5 | Tyler | $1,290 | 52% | 92 | Details |
| 6 | Pasadena | $1,318 | 53% | 91 | Details |
| 7 | Laredo | $1,327 | 53% | 91 | Details |
| 8 | San Antonio | $1,361 | 54% | 93 | Details |
| 9 | Waco | $1,368 | 55% | 91 | Details |
| 10 | Lubbock | $1,388 | 56% | 92 | Details |
| 11 | Mesquite | $1,397 | 56% | 94 | Details |
| 12 | Corpus Christi | $1,433 | 57% | 93 | Details |
| 13 | El Paso | $1,441 | 58% | 94 | Details |
| 14 | Arlington | $1,462 | 58% | 98 | Details |
| 15 | Denton | $1,491 | 60% | 100 | Details |
| 16 | Carrollton | $1,517 | 61% | 103 | Details |
| 17 | Conroe | $1,524 | 61% | 99 | Details |
| 18 | Austin | $1,531 | 61% | 107 | Details |
| 19 | Houston | $1,542 | 62% | 97 | Details |
| 20 | Fort Worth | $1,554 | 62% | 98 | Details |
| 21 | Garland | $1,563 | 63% | 98 | Details |
| 22 | New Braunfels | $1,567 | 63% | 101 | Details |
| 23 | Lewisville | $1,573 | 63% | 103 | Details |
| 24 | Midland | $1,585 | 63% | 100 | Details |
| 25 | Irving | $1,587 | 63% | 101 | Details |
| 26 | Dallas | $1,591 | 64% | 99 | Details |
| 27 | Round Rock | $1,593 | 64% | 104 | Details |
| 28 | Grand Prairie | $1,602 | 64% | 100 | Details |
| 29 | Odessa | $1,612 | 64% | 97 | Details |
| 30 | Brownsville | $1,621 | 65% | 95 | Details |
| 31 | Allen | $1,634 | 65% | 109 | Details |
| 32 | Mckinney | $1,675 | 67% | 109 | Details |
| 33 | Richardson | $1,676 | 67% | 107 | Details |
| 34 | Plano | $1,717 | 69% | 110 | Details |
| 35 | Frisco | $1,751 | 70% | 118 | Details |
| 36 | College Station | $1,755 | 70% | 104 | Details |
| 37 | Abilene | $1,758 | 70% | 98 | Details |
| 38 | League | $1,764 | 71% | 105 | Details |
| 39 | Pearland | $1,797 | 72% | 106 | Details |
| 40 | Sugar Land | $1,990 | 80% | 112 | Details |
#1 Ranked: Amarillo — cost index 89, rent $1,245/mo, income $62,469
0 of 40 cities keep rent under 30% of $30K
0 of 40 cities keep rent under 30% of $30K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $30K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market. We ran the numbers on 40 cities in Texas using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Amarillo comes out on top — here's the full ranking and analysis (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Amarillo is one of the cheaper options here. That's about what we'd expect given the state context. Rent is $1,245/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 89. Income sits at $62,469. That's about what we'd expect given the state context.
Bottom line: Amarillo leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. And most of the time, click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. It lines up with what you'd expect. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers. Not even close to the national average.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Amarillo | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $24,337 |
2Mcallen | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $24,337 |
3Beaumont | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $24,337 |
4Killeen | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $24,337 |
5Tyler | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $24,337 |
6Pasadena | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $24,337 |
7Laredo | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $24,337 |
8San Antonio | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $24,337 |
9Waco | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $24,337 |
10Lubbock | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $24,337 |
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $30K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market.
The race is tight: Amarillo, Mcallen, Beaumont, Killeen, Tyler are all within 3 points of each other. At this level, differences in rent, taxes, or a single category can sway the decision.
Rent in #1-ranked Amarillo has increased from $1,204 to $1,245/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
202,408 residents · Texas
Real talk: Amarillo is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,245/month — we had to double-check this one — , which is lower than most cities in this ranking. You get the picture. The cost index is 89. Income sits at $62,469. That tracks.
146,593 residents · Texas
In plain English: Dive into Mcallen's numbers: cost index 91 (21 points below national average), rent $1,272/month, income $60,165, and a home price of $225,568. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 77, while Healthcare runs 93. With 146,593 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
112,193 residents · Texas
A closer look at Beaumont: the cost index of 88 breaks down to a Housing index of 70 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 90 (weakest). Median rent is $1,275/month — 33% below the national median — while household income sits at $57,530, meaning locals spend about 27% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room (we double-checked this one). The math checks out.
159,643 residents · Texas
In plain English: Killeen is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,280/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 90. Income sits at $58,339. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is. That alone makes it worth considering.
110,327 residents · Texas
What does daily life actually cost in Tyler? Start with the 24% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is. On the category level, Housing (index 80) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 95) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $65,527 and homes at $248,536 round out a profile that ranks #5 for clear reasons.
Amarillo ranks #1 in Texas for this analysis with a cost index of 89 and median income of $62,469.
Yes. On a $30K salary in Amarillo, rent would consume about 50% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. It's tight — consider a roommate or nearby suburb.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Amarillo (ranked #1) has a cost index of 89 and rent of $1,245/mo, while Sugar Land (ranked #40) has a cost index of 112 and rent of $1,990/mo — a 23-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Amarillo is $1,245/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $650 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 0% state income tax, estimated take-home on $30K in Amarillo is approximately $24,337/year ($2,028/month). After median rent of $1,245/month, you'd have roughly $9,397/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Amarillo is $202,835, which is 3.2× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. The national median home price is $467,370.
Texas has a 0% state income tax rate — one of the states with no income tax. Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.19%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.6%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.