May, Texas — Potential move to HCOL – Buy or Rent

The headline from a Silicon Valley-bound couple—$325k in income, two mortgages, and a parking question for the family dog—has landed in the editorial inbox, and for a town like May, Texas, it offers a revealing glimpse of what’s at stake.

Consider the arithmetic. The couple owes $225k on a primary home at 2.75% with 22 years to go, and another $100k on a rental at 4.2% with roughly eight years left. In May, that debt load is manageable, even enviable. The cost of living here remains a fraction of Santa Clara County, where a starter home can easily run five times that mortgage figure. For a remote worker and a spouse eyeing the Bay Area, the temptation to sell one or both properties is strong. But a permanent move to a HCOL area would mean trading May’s quiet roads and low property taxes for a cramped apartment and a commute measured in minutes that feel like hours.

For anyone considering relocating to May, this couple’s dilemma is instructive. Renting in Santa Clara could preserve the asset base here—two homes that appreciate steadily and generate cash flow. Buying there, however, would likely mean cashing out on May’s affordable equity, losing a foothold in a community where 3000 square feet still costs less than a Bay Area studio. Quality of life in May means space, slower mornings, and a school system that doesn’t require a second job to fund.

May’s housing market is resilient, but it doesn’t need every Bay Area salary to know it’s worth watching.

Source: Currents

View May city guide

Updated August 09, 2026.

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