Cost of Living in Texas
What it costs to live in Texas, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 31,290,831
- Median household income
- $79,721
- State income tax
- None
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 97.1
What a typical paycheck keeps in Texas
The typical Texas worker earns $48,620 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $9,043 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $48,620
- Federal income tax
- −$3,654
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,719
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$14,964
- Everyday costs
- −$17,240
a year, or $754 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Texas.
Cost of living in Texas
Prices across Texas run 3% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing3% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)2% below the US average
- Utilities12% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)3% below the US average
- All items3% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,247 | $14,964 |
| Food | $484 | $5,808 |
| Transportation | $383 | $4,596 |
| Healthcare | $342 | $4,104 |
| Utilities | $228 | $2,736 |
| Total before taxes | $2,684 | $32,208 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Texas taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
Texas doesn’t tax wages.
No individual income tax.
Taxes on the median household income
$79,721 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$8,709 |
| Payroll taxes | −$6,099 |
| State income tax | $0 |
| Effective tax rate | 18.6% |
Cities in Texas
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Texas city we cover.
- HoustonTexasTypical worker keeps $8,6501-bedroom $1,295 a month
- San AntonioTexasTypical worker keeps $8,7231-bedroom $1,221 a month
- DallasTexasTypical worker keeps $8,1351-bedroom $1,452 a month
- Fort WorthTexasTypical worker keeps $6,9711-bedroom $1,549 a month
- AustinTexasTypical worker keeps $11,7571-bedroom $1,634 a month
- El PasoTexasTypical worker keeps $4,9871-bedroom $1,029 a month
- ArlingtonTexasTypical worker keeps $5,9991-bedroom $1,630 a month
- Corpus ChristiTexasTypical worker keeps $7,2341-bedroom $1,237 a month
- PlanoTexasTypical worker keeps $3,4071-bedroom $1,846 a month
- LubbockTexasTypical worker keeps $6,5701-bedroom $1,072 a month
- LaredoTexasTypical worker keeps $3,8811-bedroom $975 a month
- IrvingTexasTypical worker keeps $6,8391-bedroom $1,560 a month
- GarlandTexasTypical worker keeps $7,3431-bedroom $1,518 a month
- FriscoTexasTypical worker keeps $6111-bedroom $2,079 a month
- McKinneyTexasTypical worker keeps $1,5951-bedroom $1,997 a month
- KilleenTexasTypical worker keeps $11,6991-bedroom $952 a month
- McAllenTexasTypical worker keeps $3,3221-bedroom $925 a month
What common jobs keep in Texas
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $162,360 | $90,035 |
| Lawyer | $154,200 | $84,458 |
| Pharmacist salary in Texas | $138,260 | $73,563 |
| Physician assistant | $134,550 | $71,027 |
| Software engineer salary in Texas | $132,150 | $69,387 |
| Nurse practitioner | $131,670 | $69,058 |
| Veterinarian | $131,330 | $68,826 |
| Data scientist | $122,090 | $62,510 |
| Mechanical engineer | $112,410 | $55,707 |
| Occupational therapist | $106,140 | $51,295 |
| Physical therapist salary in Texas | $105,810 | $51,064 |
| Speech-language pathologist | $99,910 | $46,913 |
| Dental hygienist salary in Texas | $99,240 | $46,441 |
| Financial analyst | $99,150 | $46,378 |
| Project manager | $98,440 | $45,878 |
Salary pages in Texas, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant salary
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist salary
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician salary
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist salary
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist salary
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer salary
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse salary
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer salary
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher salary
- Truck driver salary
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Texas
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Cardiologists | $410,150 |
| Physicians, Pathologists | $345,830 |
| Radiologists | $319,320 |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $271,960 |
| Physicians, All Other | $269,800 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $269,110 |
| Chief Executives | $257,850 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $244,990 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $235,710 |
| Psychiatrists | $228,460 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $222,820 |
| Anesthesiologists | $215,230 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $215,150 |
| Pediatricians, General | $173,360 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $171,530 |
Living in Texas
Texas against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Texas | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $313,200 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,475 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 13.4% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 35.2% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 27.5 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 12.9% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Texas with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Texas?
Prices in Texas are 3% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,247 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,437 a month.
Does Texas have a state income tax?
No. Texas doesn't tax wages. Workers still pay federal income tax and payroll taxes.
How much do you need to earn to live in Texas?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $37,400 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Texas earns $48,620 and keeps $9,043 after those costs.
Where in Texas does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Texas cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Austin ($11,757 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Frisco ($611).
What jobs pay the most in Texas?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Texas goes to Cardiologists ($410,150); Physicians, Pathologists ($345,830); Radiologists ($319,320) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate