Harris County · Texas · South · 2.3M residents
Houston, TX: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Houston: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Texas median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in Houston is $340,000, 33% above the Texas median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,650/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 94 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $62,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A global Texas city where food, space science, and neighborhood festivals keep the calendar full.
Known for: Space exploration, an international food scene, museums, rodeo culture, and major medical institutions.
Calendar note: The city lists Freedom Over Texas and a broad program of cultural festivals and parades.
Story source: City of Houston
- Scale: A major population center with more than one million residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Houston about 46 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
- Climate signal: The profile records 204 sunny days and 0 inches of annual snow.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 48 and an average commute of 30 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Houston side by side
Cost of living index
94
Median home value
$340,000
2-bedroom rent
$1,650/mo
Median household income
$62,000
Housing momentum
How fast Houston's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
13/100
Cooling
Ranks Houston's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Houston's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $340,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $175 |
| Property tax rate | 2% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,300/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,650/mo |
| State & local income tax | 0% |
| Sales tax | 8.25% |
| Cost of living index | 94 |
| Groceries index | 96 |
| Utilities | $190/mo |
| Transit pass | $40/mo |
| Gas price | $2.85/gal |
| Healthcare index | 95 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,100/mo |
| Median household income | $62,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% |
| Population | 2.3M |
| Crime index | 58/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 |
| Walkability | 48/100 |
| Disaster risk | 100/100 |
| Avg. commute | 30 min |
| Sunny days / year | 204 days |
| July high | 93°F |
| January low | 44°F |
| Annual snowfall | 0 in |
| Home price YoY | -2.7% |
| Home price MoM | -0.4% |
| Rent YoY | -1.0% |
| Rent MoM | 0.0% |
| Ocean coast | 47 mi |
| Big lake | 46 mi |
| Mountains | 343 mi |
| Major airport | 9 mi |
| Ski resort | 662 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Bellaire, TX · 17k
- Aldine, TX · 17k
- South Houston, TX · 16k
- Pasadena, TX · 149k
- Cloverleaf, TX · 24k
Similar size
- San Antonio, TX · 1.5M
- Dallas, TX · 1.3M
- Austin, TX · 980k
- Fort Worth, TX · 963k
- El Paso, TX · 680k
Real listings in Houston
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Houston, TX?
- Houston indexes at 94 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,650/mo and a median home value of $340,000.
- How much does a house cost in Houston?
- The median home value in Houston is $340,000, 33% above the Texas median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Houston?
- A two-bedroom in Houston rents for about $1,650/mo.