A move from San Francisco to Austin with the same six-figure salary and no state income tax sounds like the sort of upgrade that should make a family feel instantly "richer." For one couple earning $210,000, the numbers told a different story. Their spreadsheet confused them enough to take the question to Reddit: "Relocation to Texas looks richer at first. Our math says break even. What are we missing?"
In the MiddleClassFinance subreddit, the couple laid out the details. They rent for $3,200, pay $2,050 for daycare for two young children, and cover the usual costs of groceries, utilities, car insurance, gas and health premiums. After federal and state withholding—and each spouse contributing 10% to a 401(k)—their take-home pay lands around $8,000 a month. As several Redditors pointed out, those numbers look surprisingly modest for the Bay Area, especially the rent and childcare costs.
