Residential comparison · 13 facts
Houston, TX vs San Antonio, 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 Houston needs about $82,000 in San Antonio to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from San Antonio, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $88,000 in Houston.
A few differences
- Houston is lower on property tax rate (2% vs 2.1%).
- San Antonio is lower on groceries index (93 vs 96).
- Houston is higher on median household income ($62,000 vs $59,000).
Houston vs San Antonio · facet by facet
| Facet | Houston, TX | San Antonio, TX |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $340,000 | $285,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,650/mo | $1,450/mo |
| Property tax rate | 2% | 2.1% |
| State & local income tax | 0% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 8.25% | 8.25% |
| Cost of living index | 94 | 91 |
| Groceries index | 96 | 93 |
| Utilities | $190/mo | $165/mo |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $59,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.1% |
| Crime index | 58/100 | 55/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 204 days | 220 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 · San Antonio, TX
Questions & answers
- Is Houston cheaper than San Antonio?
- San Antonio has the lower day-to-day cost index (91 vs 94 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in San Antonio equals $85,000 in Houston?
- A household earning $85,000 in Houston needs about $82,000 in San Antonio to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of San Antonio lifestyle costs about $88,000 in Houston.