Austin (Texas) vs Palm Beach (Florida): tax, residence and cost.

Austin vs Palm Beach.

Austin against Palm Beach, both in 🇺🇸 United States, on tax, residence, cost, and the life. Same model, same year, no brochure.

In short, current to September 2026

On $1,000,000 of income, Austin takes an effective 33% and Palm Beach takes 33%, an identical effective rate on Patrician's 2026 model.
Both tax a capital gain on a resident disposal at 24%, so a liquidity event carries the same local charge either way.
Neither United States nor United States operates a special regime for arriving foreigners, so both are modeled on ordinary resident rates.
Inheritance, what a child pays: 40% above $15M in Austin, 40% above $15M in Palm Beach.
Route in: Austin by Residence by investment, Founder & talent. Palm Beach by Residence by investment, Founder & talent.
Cost of the life is 78 in Austin against 110 in Palm Beach on Patrician's index where Zurich is 100, and safety 7 against 8 of 10. Both are Patrician editorial indices scored by us, not published statistics.

Source: the Patrician.ch board, an original ranking of 100 residence addresses across 48 countries and territories. Tax rates, thresholds and routes are sourced. Cost, safety, schools, sun and beauty are Patrician.ch editorial indices. Figures current to September 2026. Updated 23 September 2026. Cite as: Patrician.ch, Austin (Texas) vs Palm Beach (Florida): tax, residence and cost., patrician.ch/compare/aus-vs-pbi/, September 2026.

	Austin	Palm Beach
Effective tax at $300K	25%	25%
Effective tax at $1M	33%	33%
Effective tax at $3M	36%	36%
Kept at $1M	$674K	$674K
Capital gains	24%	24%
Inheritance tax, children	40% above $15M	40% above $15M
Cost index (Zurich 100)	78	110
Safety	7/10	8/10
Schools	7/10	7/10
Sun hours	2,650	3,000
Supercar street index	#72	#5
Routes in	Residence by investment, Founder & talent	Residence by investment, Founder & talent
Net millionaire inflow 2025 (country, Henley)	+7,500	+7,500
Flight London	10.6	9.6
Flight New York	4	3.1

Simplified marginal model, indicative 2026 brackets, non-US single filer, no social contributions, deductions, wealth taxes, or treaties. Inheritance is shown as it falls on a child, current to September 2026.

By profile

How each profile reads.

For an executive on salary

Palm Beach (Florida) keeps more of a $1M salary, $0 a year on this model. Austin (Texas) answers with the life itself.

For a founder with an exit

Capital gains land at 24% in both. Neither city taxes wealth as such.

For a family

Palm Beach (Florida) leads on safety and sun, Austin (Texas) on a lower cost. Schools are level.

AustinThe full page Palm BeachThe full page Rank both on my numbersThe engine, 90 seconds

Questions

Which keeps more of a $1M income, Austin or Palm Beach?

Neither. Both keep $674K of $1,000,000 on Patrician.ch's 2026 model.

Austin takes an effective 33% of $1,000,000 and Palm Beach takes 33%. At $3,000,000 the rates are 36% and 36%.

Which taxes capital gains less, Austin or Palm Beach?

Neither. Both tax a resident's capital gain at about 24%.

Which is better for inheritance, Austin or Palm Beach?

Both tax children. What a child pays: 40% above $15M in Austin, 40% above $15M in Palm Beach.

The US taxes an estate at 40% above $15M per person in 2026. A US citizen spouse inherits free.

Which is cheaper to live in, Austin or Palm Beach?

Austin, at 78 on the Patrician.ch cost index against 110 for Palm Beach, where Zurich is 100.

Safety scores 7 of 10 in Austin and 8 of 10 in Palm Beach, schools 7 and 7. These are Patrician.ch editorial indices, not published statistics.

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This page is the general case. Your income and passports rank all 100 differently.

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The general case, ranked: Where should high earners live in 2026 · Best country to live in if you are rich · Best countries for high earners after tax · Europe · United States

Tax figures use a simplified marginal model with indicative 2026 brackets for a non-US single filer, ignore social contributions, most deductions, wealth taxes, and treaties, and are not advice. Residence rules change often. Verify before acting.