Residential comparison · 13 facts
Fort Worth, TX vs Houston, TX
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Fort Worth needs about $85,000 in Houston to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Houston, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $85,000 in Fort Worth.
A few differences
- Fort Worth is lower on property tax rate (1.68% vs 2%).
- Fort Worth is lower on sales tax (8.2% vs 8.25%).
- Fort Worth is higher on median household income ($79,507 vs $62,000).
Fort Worth vs Houston · facet by facet
| Facet | Fort Worth, TX | Houston, TX |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $303,000 | $340,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,483/mo | $1,650/mo |
| Property tax rate | 1.68% | 2% |
| State & local income tax | 0% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 8.2% | 8.25% |
| Cost of living index | 95 | 94 |
| Groceries index | 96 | 96 |
| Utilities | $185/mo | $190/mo |
| Median household income | $79,507 | $62,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4% | 4.6% |
| Crime index | 50/100 | 58/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 230 days | 204 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Fort Worth, TX · Houston, TX
Questions & answers
- Is Fort Worth cheaper than Houston?
- Houston has the lower day-to-day cost index (94 vs 95 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Houston equals $85,000 in Fort Worth?
- A household earning $85,000 in Fort Worth needs about $85,000 in Houston to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Houston lifestyle costs about $85,000 in Fort Worth.