Residential comparison · 13 facts
Houston, TX vs Phoenix, AZ
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 $90,000 in Phoenix to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Phoenix, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $80,000 in Houston.
A few differences
- Phoenix is lower on property tax rate (0.6% vs 2%).
- Houston is lower on sales tax (8.25% vs 8.6%).
- Houston is lower on groceries index (96 vs 101).
Houston vs Phoenix · facet by facet
| Facet | Houston, TX | Phoenix, AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $340,000 | $450,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,650/mo | $1,700/mo |
| Property tax rate | 2% | 0.6% |
| State & local income tax | 0% | 1.64% |
| Sales tax | 8.25% | 8.6% |
| Cost of living index | 94 | 103 |
| Groceries index | 96 | 101 |
| Utilities | $190/mo | $220/mo |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $72,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 3.9% |
| Crime index | 58/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 204 days | 299 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 · Phoenix, AZ
Questions & answers
- Is Houston cheaper than Phoenix?
- Houston has the lower day-to-day cost index (94 vs 103 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Phoenix equals $85,000 in Houston?
- A household earning $85,000 in Houston needs about $90,000 in Phoenix to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Phoenix lifestyle costs about $80,000 in Houston.