US Region · 36 cities · 4 states

FIRE in the Southwest

Sun, sprawl, and no-tax momentum.

Texas and Florida both have no income tax — and the Southwest leans into that advantage. Cities like Austin and Phoenix have seen costs rise, but they still compare favorably to coastal metros. Arizona and New Mexico offer excellent affordability for desert-lifestyle FIRE.

Cities covered

Avg annual cost

$51,928

Avg FIRE target

$1,298,200

No-income-tax states

All cities ranked by cost of living

Cheapest first. Click any city for detailed FIRE calculations and retirement timelines.

#	City	State	Annual Cost	FIRE Target	Income Tax
1	Laredo, TX	Texas	$45,000	$1,125,000	Unavailable
2	Norman, OK	Oklahoma	$45,000	$1,125,000	Unavailable
3	Tulsa, OK	Oklahoma	$45,900	$1,147,500	Unavailable
4	Brownsville, TX	Texas	$46,000	$1,150,000	Unavailable
5	Amarillo, TX	Texas	$46,200	$1,155,000	Unavailable
6	El Paso, TX	Texas	$46,500	$1,162,500	Unavailable
7	Killeen, TX	Texas	$47,000	$1,175,000	Unavailable
8	Lubbock, TX	Texas	$47,100	$1,177,500	Unavailable
9	Oklahoma City, OK	Oklahoma	$47,300	$1,182,500	Unavailable
10	Waco, TX	Texas	$47,700	$1,192,500	Unavailable
11	Tucson, AZ	Arizona	$48,800	$1,220,000	Unavailable
12	San Antonio, TX	Texas	$49,000	$1,225,000	Unavailable
13	Albuquerque, NM	New Mexico	$49,000	$1,225,000	Unavailable
14	Edmond, OK	Oklahoma	$49,000	$1,225,000	Unavailable
15	Corpus Christi, TX	Texas	$49,600	$1,240,000	Unavailable
16	Houston, TX	Texas	$50,800	$1,270,000	Unavailable
17	Denton, TX	Texas	$51,700	$1,292,500	Unavailable
18	Arlington, TX	Texas	$53,200	$1,330,000	Unavailable
19	Midland, TX	Texas	$53,800	$1,345,000	Unavailable
20	Garland, TX	Texas	$53,900	$1,347,500	Unavailable
21	Austin, TX	Texas	$54,300	$1,357,500	Unavailable
22	Dallas, TX	Texas	$54,500	$1,362,500	Unavailable
23	Fort Worth, TX	Texas	$54,600	$1,365,000	Unavailable
24	Mesa, AZ	Arizona	$54,600	$1,365,000	Unavailable
25	Santa Fe, NM	New Mexico	$54,700	$1,367,500	Unavailable
26	Irving, TX	Texas	$54,800	$1,370,000	Unavailable
27	Glendale, AZ	Arizona	$54,800	$1,370,000	Unavailable
28	Phoenix, AZ	Arizona	$55,300	$1,382,500	Unavailable
29	Tempe, AZ	Arizona	$55,800	$1,395,000	Unavailable
30	McKinney, TX	Texas	$55,900	$1,397,500	Unavailable
31	Plano, TX	Texas	$56,100	$1,402,500	Unavailable
32	Flagstaff, AZ	Arizona	$56,400	$1,410,000	Unavailable
33	Chandler, AZ	Arizona	$57,300	$1,432,500	Unavailable
34	Frisco, TX	Texas	$58,800	$1,470,000	Unavailable
35	Gilbert, AZ	Arizona	$59,400	$1,485,000	Unavailable
36	Scottsdale, AZ	Arizona	$59,600	$1,490,000	Unavailable