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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Texas's value. 39 out of 40 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Beaumont at index 74, where median rent of $1,275/month saves renters $7,440/year versus the national median.
#1 Ranked: Beaumont — cost index 74, rent $1,275/mo, income $57,530
Beaumont is a clear outlier at index 74
39 of 40 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Dollar for dollar, few states match Texas's value. 39 out of 40 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Beaumont at index 74, where median rent of $1,275/month saves renters $7,440/year versus the national median.
You don't need to read between the lines. The lines say it all: Beaumont is a clear outlier at index 74 — we had to double-check this one — . #1-ranked Beaumont has a cost index 20 points lower than the top-5 average of 94. That's not a marginal lead — it's a category of its own. In the context of rising national rents, this stability is worth noting.
What does daily life actually cost in Beaumont? Start with the 27% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 74) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 95) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $57,530 and homes at $165,122 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
The 3.5× rule is a conservative benchmark: lenders often approve up to 4-5× income, but 3.5× keeps monthly payments safely under 28% of gross income at typical rates. On $60K, that means targeting homes under $210,000. Beaumont offers a median home at $165,122 — a 2.8× ratio with room to spare.
The counter-argument is worth hearing: Across Texas, the average cost of living index is 90 — 21 points below the national median. Known for no income tax, massive metros, and wide-open affordability, the state offers 40 tracked cities with median rents averaging $1,536/month. That's $359 less than the national average of $1,895. If two cities have the same income, this cost gap is the tiebreaker (that's pre-tax, of course).
Here's the honest assessment: Beaumont is the data-driven pick, but #2 through #5 are close enough that personal factors — commute, climate, schools, family proximity — should weigh in. The city profiles below include profession-specific salary lookups and 12-month trend lines. Use them to pressure-test the ranking against your real life.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Beaumont | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $45,419 |
2League | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $45,419 |
3Sugar Land | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $45,419 |
4Amarillo | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $45,419 |
5Abilene | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $45,419 |
6Corpus Christi | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $45,419 |
7Pasadena | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $45,419 |
8Pearland | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $45,419 |
9Odessa | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $45,419 |
10Lubbock | 0% | 8.19% | 1.6% | $45,419 |
112,193 residents · Texas
The #1 spot goes to Beaumont, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,275/month — saving renters $7,440 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 74, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 95. A 27% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
116,320 residents · Texas
A closer look at League: the cost index of 103 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 101 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 103 (weakest). No major red flags in that number. Median rent is $1,764/month — 7% below the national median — while household income sits at $119,870, meaning locals spend about 18% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
108,515 residents · Texas
Dive into Sugar Land's numbers: cost index 116 (5 points above national average), rent $1,990/month, income $137,511, and a home price of $440,419. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 103, while Housing runs 116. With 108,515 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
202,408 residents · Texas
A closer look at Amarillo: the cost index of 73 breaks down to a Housing index of 73 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 95 (weakest). And as a general rule, 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.
129,043 residents · Texas
Here's the thing: Here's Abilene by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 103. Rent: $1,758/month. Income: $62,720/year. Home price: $206,199. Population: 129,043. The strongest category is Healthcare at 101; the most expensive is Housing at 103. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $1,644 per year vs. the national median. Year over year, that savings rate is portfolio-grade.
We divide median home price by median household income for each city in Texas. A ratio of 3× means a home costs 3 years of gross income — generally considered affordable. Ratios above 5× signal a stretched market. 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.
Beaumont ranks #1 in Texas for this analysis with a cost index of 74 and median income of $57,530.
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.
Beaumont (ranked #1) has a cost index of 74 and rent of $1,275/mo, while Mesquite (ranked #40) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,397/mo — a 8-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 Beaumont is $1,275/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $620 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Beaumont is $165,122, which is 2.9× 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.