Is It Cheaper to Live in Austin or Houston?
Housing is 55% cheaper in Houston on typical home value: $552,101 in Austin against $249,757 in Houston. Typical rent is 7% lower in Houston: $1,659 in Austin against $1,551 in Houston per month. The ranges overlap: Austin runs $266,038 to $1,307,386 across its ZIPs and Houston runs $129,187 to $1,722,665, so the cheaper metro on the median still contains neighborhoods dearer than parts of the other.
Key stats
- Typical home value is 55% lower in Houston: $552,101 in Austin against $249,757 in Houston.
- Typical rent is 7% lower in Houston: $1,659 in Austin against $1,551 in Houston per month.
- The ranges overlap: Austin runs $266,038 to $1,307,386 across its ZIPs and Houston runs $129,187 to $1,722,665, so the cheaper metro on the median still contains neighborhoods dearer than parts of the other.
- The income-needed indicator stands at $123,750 for Austin and $88,863 for Houston, a difference of $34,887.
- Median ZIP home value
- $552,101 / $249,757
- Median ZIP rent
- $1,659 / $1,551
- Tracked ZIP markets
- 42 / 97
What housing costs in Austin and Houston
Typical home value is 55% lower in Houston: $552,101 in Austin against $249,757 in Houston.
Typical rent is 7% lower in Houston: $1,659 in Austin against $1,551 in Houston per month.
Where the two metros actually overlap
The ranges overlap: Austin runs $266,038 to $1,307,386 across its ZIPs and Houston runs $129,187 to $1,722,665, so the cheaper metro on the median still contains neighborhoods dearer than parts of the other.
A metro median decides nothing on its own: a move lands in one neighborhood, not in the average of all of them, and the ranges above are what a shortlist has to sit inside.
What this comparison does not include
This page compares housing only. Groceries, transport, state and local taxes, insurance, and childcare are not measured here and can move the total either way — in particular, the two metros may sit in states with very different income-tax treatment.
The income-needed indicator stands at $123,750 for Austin and $88,863 for Houston, a difference of $34,887.
Continue your market research
- Austin housing marketMetro overview and the full ZIP directory.
- Houston housing marketMetro overview and the full ZIP directory.
- Moving to Austin: what housing costsThe same figures read from a mover’s side.
- Moving to Houston: what housing costsThe same figures read from a mover’s side.
Sources and method
- HomeMarketCap.com data sources: ZIP and metro housing-market datasets
- HomeMarketCap.com methodology: Metric definitions and calculation rules
Figures are updated monthly by the HomeMarketCap.com team under our editorial policy. Spotted something wrong? Report a correction.
What that costs per month in Austin
Principal and interest on $552,101, the typical value of the median tracked ZIP. Taxes, insurance, and any association dues are not included.
$2,792 / monthprincipal and interest
An estimate for comparison between markets, not a quote or an offer of credit. Actual payments depend on the rate you are offered, the property, and the loan terms.
What that costs per month in Houston
Principal and interest on $249,757, the typical value of the median tracked ZIP. Taxes, insurance, and any association dues are not included.
$1,263 / monthprincipal and interest
An estimate for comparison between markets, not a quote or an offer of credit. Actual payments depend on the rate you are offered, the property, and the loan terms.