Moving from Phoenix to Midland
You'd keep $898 more a month in Midland
+$10,776 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Phoenix leftover
$2,577
a month after tax and rent
Midland leftover
$3,475
+$898 vs Phoenix
| Per month | Phoenix | Midland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,583 | $8,436 | +$852 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,709 | $1,802 | +$94 |
| Take-home pay | $5,875 | $6,633 | +$759 |
| Rent | $1,276 | $1,273 | −$3 |
| Getting around | $586 | $570 | −$16 |
| Groceries | $396 | $363 | −$33 |
| Healthcare | $446 | $408 | −$38 |
| Utilities | $248 | $227 | −$21 |
| Everything else | $347 | $317 | −$30 |
| Left over | $2,577 | $3,475 | +$898 |
To break even in Midland, you'd need to earn
$86,000
Household gross, versus $91,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Phoenix does now.
The tax difference alone
+$1,910
A year, in state and local income tax. Texas has no wage income tax.
More about Midland
Phoenix, AZ in full
A 2.5% flat income tax, cheap housing for a big metro, and a genuinely dangerous July.
Midland, TX in full
No state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,516 and 263 sunny days; commutes average 22 minutes.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Midland on Midland wages.
Midland → Phoenix →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Midland than Phoenix?
A one-bedroom is about $1,276 in Phoenix versus $1,273 in Midland. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $898 a month higher in Midland. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Midland have state income tax?
Midland is in Texas, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Phoenix to Midland?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Texas tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.