Harris County · Texas · South · 2.3M residents
Houston, TX: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Houston: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, 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.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,760/wk. Texas's corporate income tax rate is 0%. Commercial electricity averages 8.6¢/kWh.
Compare Houston side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,760/wk
Corporate income tax
0%
Bachelor's degree or higher
36.6%
Commercial electricity
8.6¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Houston's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
53/100
Steady
Ranks Houston's residential building-permit and jobs 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. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| 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% |
| Corporate income tax | 0% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,760/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.6% |
| Commercial electricity | 8.6¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 24.5/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $129,440 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $99,830 |
| Wage: General manager | $119,600 |
| Wage: Customer service | $40,380 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $36,890 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $56,840 |
| Wage: Electrician | $59,180 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $31,340 |
| 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% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +0.4% |
| Building permits YoY | -0.2% |
| 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
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Houston a good place to run a business?
- Texas's corporate income tax rate is 0%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,760/wk; commercial electricity averages 8.6¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- 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 (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Houston?
- A two-bedroom in Houston rents for about $1,650/mo.