> Meanwhile, in Houston, an employee only needs to gross about $125,000 to achieve the same purchasing power as someone making $312,000 in New York. A six-figure paycheck is much easier to achieve in Texas, according to SmartAsset’s analysis, since the cost of living in many Lone Star State cities is lower than the national average and residents don’t pay a state income tax. In cities like El Paso, Corpus Christi and Lubbock, salaries can be as low as $122,000 and still feel like a true $100,000.

The real reason people have been moving to these places.

There's no way to solve the problem. Unless you love living in those places, you can do much better for your future by leaving ,especially in this era of more acceptance of remote work.