Residential comparison · 13 facts
Houston, TX vs Philadelphia, PA
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 Houston needs about $100,500 in Philadelphia to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Philadelphia, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $71,000 in Houston.
A few differences
- Philadelphia is lower on property tax rate (0.95% vs 2%).
- Philadelphia is lower on sales tax (8% vs 8.25%).
- Houston is lower on groceries index (96 vs 104).
Houston vs Philadelphia · facet by facet
| Facet | Houston, TX | Philadelphia, PA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $340,000 | $230,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,650/mo | $1,900/mo |
| Property tax rate | 2% | 0.95% |
| State & local income tax | 0% | 6.82% |
| Sales tax | 8.25% | 8% |
| Cost of living index | 94 | 101 |
| Groceries index | 96 | 104 |
| Utilities | $190/mo | $175/mo |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $57,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 5.4% |
| Crime index | 58/100 | 60/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 204 days | 207 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: Houston, TX · Philadelphia, PA
Questions & answers
- Is Houston cheaper than Philadelphia?
- Houston has the lower day-to-day cost index (94 vs 101 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Philadelphia equals $85,000 in Houston?
- A household earning $85,000 in Houston needs about $100,500 in Philadelphia to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Philadelphia lifestyle costs about $71,000 in Houston.