Moving from Texas to Arizona: The Real Numbers
ClozeEZ, the for-sale-by-owner site, lays out the real numbers on moving from Texas to Arizona. About 10,306 Texans moved to Arizona in 2024, making Texas the third-largest source state (Census ACS 2024 1-year). This is not a savings move on the sticker: Texas's statewide median of about $345,000 is roughly $140,000 below Greater Phoenix's $485,000, and Arizona's 2.5% income tax is a new liability where Texas has none. What moves in your favor is everything attached to the house: property tax and insurance both fall sharply.
Texas vs. Arizona at a glance
| Texas | Arizona | |
|---|---|---|
| Moved to Arizona (2024) | 10,306 people | Arizona's #3 source state |
| Median home price | $345,000 (TX, June 2026) | ~$485,000 (Greater Phoenix), higher |
| Income tax | None | 2.5% flat, an increase |
| Effective property tax | 1.40% | 0.48% |
| Homeowners insurance (avg) | $4,582/yr | $2,397/yr |
Which side of your budget wins
The Texas-to-Arizona move splits cleanly. Income tax moves against you: Arizona's 2.5% flat rate costs roughly $3,750 a year on $150,000 of taxable income that you previously did not pay at all. Housing carrying costs move for you, and by more.
Property tax at Texas's 1.40% effective rate on a $345,000 median home runs about $4,830 a year. Arizona's 0.48% on a $485,000 Phoenix median runs about $2,330, roughly $2,500 a year less on a house that costs $140,000 more. Homeowners insurance adds to it: the 2026 Quadrant study puts Texas at an average $4,582 a year against Arizona's $2,397, because Texas is a hail-and-wind state and Arizona is not. Combined, the housing carry moves about $4,700 a year in your favor while income tax moves about $3,750 against.
Humidity, not just heat
Phoenix runs 23% average afternoon relative humidity against Houston's 55% and Dallas's 49%, and gets 7.2 inches of rain across 35 days a year against Houston's 55.6 inches across 107 days (NOAA). Phoenix is hotter at the top end; Texas metros essentially never see the 21 days a year at or above 110°F that Phoenix averages. But the dry-versus-humid distinction is the one Texans tend to notice first.
Where Arizona does not win
Be clear-eyed: Arizona homes cost more than Texas homes, roughly $140,000 more at the median, and Arizona's income tax is a new cost Texas never charged you. The case rests on property tax, insurance, and climate preference, not on a cheaper house or a lower total tax bill for everyone.
Texas to Arizona: frequently asked questions
Are homes cheaper in Arizona than Texas?
No. Texas's statewide median sale price was about $345,000 in June 2026 against roughly $485,000 in Greater Phoenix; Arizona runs about $140,000 higher. Anyone telling you otherwise is not using current figures.
Will I pay more tax moving from Texas to Arizona?
It depends which tax. Texas has no income tax, so Arizona's flat 2.5% is a new cost, roughly $3,750 a year on $150,000 of taxable income. But Texas's effective property tax of 1.40% is nearly three times Arizona's 0.48%, and Texas homeowners insurance averages nearly double. For most households the housing side outweighs the income side.
Why is homeowners insurance so much cheaper in Arizona?
Hail and wind. Texas averages substantially more severe storm activity, and its insurance market prices that in: an average $4,582 a year against Arizona's $2,397 in the 2026 Quadrant study.
Is Phoenix hotter than Texas?
At the top end, yes. Phoenix averages about 21 days a year at or above 110°F, which Dallas and Houston essentially never record. Phoenix is far drier, though: 23% average afternoon humidity against Houston's 55%.