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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…
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. Below the radar, but not for long.
There's a pattern hiding in these numbers — and it matters: 0 of 40 cities keep rent under 30% of $30K. And broadly, 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.
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). 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.
On a $30K salary, the key number is $750/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Amarillo ($1,245/mo, 50%), Mcallen ($1,272/mo, 51%), Beaumont ($1,275/mo, 51%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $24,337 to $24,337/year across these top picks.
For all that, there's a counter-signal worth noting: Texas — no income tax, massive metros, and wide-open affordability. The 40 cities we track here average a cost index of 90 and median income of $79,780. It's a clear buyer's market compared to national norms. The typical rent runs $1,536/month, which is $359 less than the national median.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers (a figure that keeps climbing, by the way).
#1 Ranked: Amarillo — cost index 73, 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
202,408 residents · Texas
So, Amarillo. And from what we can tell, cost index of 73, rent at $1,245/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $62,469, which is below the national median. That alone makes it worth considering.
146,593 residents · Texas
A closer look at Mcallen: the cost index of 74 breaks down to a Housing index of 74 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 95 (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
Real talk: Dive into Beaumont's numbers: cost index 74 (37 points below national average), rent $1,275/month, income $57,530, and a home price of $165,122. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 74, while Healthcare runs 95. With 112,193 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
159,643 residents · Texas
A closer look at Killeen: the cost index of 75 — a detail that tends to get overlooked — breaks down to a Housing index of 75 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 95 (weakest). Median rent is $1,280/month — 32% below the national median — while household income sits at $58,339, meaning locals spend about 26% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
110,327 residents · Texas
The numbers for Tyler are straightforward: 75 on the cost index, $1,290/month rent, $65,527 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. It lines up with what you'd expect.
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 2 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.
Amarillo (index 73) and Sugar Land (index 116) sit 43 points apart on the cost index — proof that Texas is far from monolithic in affordability.
| 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 |
We model what a $30K salary looks like after taxes in each city: federal income tax (marginal brackets), FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. Then we compare take-home against local rent and costs to determine where the salary stretches furthest. 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 73 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 73 and rent of $1,245/mo, while Sugar Land (ranked #40) has a cost index of 116 and rent of $1,990/mo — a 43-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.