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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 $50K salary, 1 cities (3%) 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…
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $50K salary, 1 cities (3%) 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.
On a $50K salary, the key number is $1,250/month — for better or worse — — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Amarillo ($1,245/mo, 30%), Mcallen ($1,272/mo, 31%), Beaumont ($1,275/mo, 31%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $40,122 to $40,122/year across these top picks.
Why Amarillo ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 89 on the cost index, residents save roughly 23% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,245/month while the median household pulls in $62,469/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 73, though Healthcare (92) lags behind. Home prices average $202,835 — $264,535 below the national median.
Here's where the story takes a turn: 1 of 40 cities keep rent under 30% of $50K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $50K salary, 1 cities (3%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
#1 Ranked: Amarillo — cost index 89, rent $1,245/mo, income $62,469
1 of 40 cities keep rent under 30% of $50K
1 of 40 cities keep rent under 30% of $50K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
202,408 residents · Texas
A closer look at Amarillo: the cost index of 89 breaks down to a Housing index of 73 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 92 (weakest). Median rent is $1,245/month — 34% below the national median — while household income sits at $62,469, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
146,593 residents · Texas
A closer look at Mcallen: the cost index of 91 breaks down to a Housing index of 77 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 93 (weakest). Median rent is $1,272/month — 33% below the national median — while household income sits at $60,165, meaning locals spend about 25% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
112,193 residents · Texas
Beaumont is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,275/month — we had to double-check this one — , which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 88. Income sits at $57,530. Fairly typical for a city this size.
159,643 residents · Texas
Why Killeen ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. At 90 on the cost index, residents save roughly 22% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,280/month while the median household pulls in $58,339/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 76, though Healthcare (93) lags behind. Home prices average $218,425 — $248,945 below the national median (that's pre-tax, of course).
110,327 residents · Texas
Here's Tyler by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 92. Rent: $1,290/month. Income: $65,527/year. Home price: $248,536. Population: 110,327. The strongest category is Housing at 80; the most expensive is Healthcare at 95. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $7,260 per year vs. the national median. Over thirty years of homeownership, the property tax savings alone are staggering (we double-checked this one).
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $50K salary, 1 cities (3%) 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.
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amarillo | $1,245 | 30% | 89 | Details |
| 2 | Mcallen | $1,272 | 31% | 91 | Details |
| 3 | Beaumont | $1,275 | 31% | 88 | Details |
| 4 | Killeen | $1,280 | 31% | 90 | Details |
| 5 | Tyler | $1,290 | 31% | 92 | Details |
| 6 | Pasadena | $1,318 | 32% | 91 | Details |
| 7 | Laredo | $1,327 | 32% | 91 | Details |
| 8 | San Antonio | $1,361 | 33% | 93 | Details |
| 9 | Waco | $1,368 | 33% | 91 | Details |
| 10 | Lubbock | $1,388 | 33% | 92 | Details |
| 11 | Mesquite | $1,397 | 34% | 94 | Details |
| 12 | Corpus Christi | $1,433 | 34% | 93 | Details |
| 13 | El Paso | $1,441 | 35% | 94 | Details |
| 14 | Arlington | $1,462 | 35% | 98 | Details |
| 15 | Denton | $1,491 | 36% | 100 | Details |
| 16 | Carrollton | $1,517 | 36% | 103 | Details |
| 17 | Conroe | $1,524 | 37% | 99 | Details |
| 18 | Austin | $1,531 | 37% | 107 | Details |
| 19 | Houston | $1,542 | 37% | 97 | Details |
| 20 | Fort Worth | $1,554 | 37% | 98 | Details |
| 21 | Garland | $1,563 | 38% | 98 | Details |
| 22 | New Braunfels | $1,567 | 38% | 101 | Details |
| 23 | Lewisville | $1,573 | 38% | 103 | Details |
| 24 | Midland | $1,585 | 38% | 100 | Details |
| 25 | Irving | $1,587 | 38% | 101 | Details |
| 26 | Dallas | $1,591 | 38% | 99 | Details |
| 27 | Round Rock | $1,593 | 38% | 104 | Details |
| 28 | Grand Prairie | $1,602 | 38% | 100 | Details |
| 29 | Odessa | $1,612 | 39% | 97 | Details |
| 30 | Brownsville | $1,621 | 39% | 95 | Details |
| 31 | Allen | $1,634 | 39% | 109 | Details |
| 32 | Mckinney | $1,675 | 40% | 109 | Details |
| 33 | Richardson | $1,676 | 40% | 107 | Details |
| 34 | Plano | $1,717 | 41% | 110 | Details |
| 35 | Frisco | $1,751 | 42% | 118 | Details |
| 36 | College Station | $1,755 | 42% | 104 | Details |
| 37 | Abilene | $1,758 | 42% | 98 | Details |
| 38 | League | $1,764 | 42% | 105 | Details |
| 39 | Pearland | $1,797 | 43% | 106 | Details |
| 40 | Sugar Land | $1,990 | 48% | 112 | Details |
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Amarillo | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $40,122 |
2Mcallen | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $40,122 |
3Beaumont | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $40,122 |
4Killeen | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $40,122 |
5Tyler | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $40,122 |
6Pasadena | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $40,122 |
7Laredo | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $40,122 |
8San Antonio | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $40,122 |
9Waco | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $40,122 |
10Lubbock | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $40,122 |
We calculate what percentage of a $50K gross salary goes to median rent. Cities where rent consumes less of your paycheck rank higher. We also factor in estimated take-home pay after federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Amarillo ranks #1 in Texas for this analysis with a cost index of 89 and median income of $62,469.
Yes. On a $50K salary in Amarillo, rent would consume about 30% 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 $50K in Amarillo is approximately $40,122/year ($3,344/month). After median rent of $1,245/month, you'd have roughly $25,182/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.