Can you afford to live in Houston?

Median household income, home values and rent in Houston, TX — how they've changed since 2015 and how much of a typical paycheck housing takes compared with the rest of the country.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

This story was assembled using AI and public data sources.

What it costs to live in Houston.

Median household income: $62,894 — +36.2% since 2015 (not adjusted for inflation)

Median gross rent: $1,313/mo — +50.4% since 2015

Median home value, 2015 to 2023

• 2015: 131700
• 2023: 253400

Median household income

• Houston: 62894
• Harris County: 73104
• TX: 76292
• U.S.: 78538

Median gross rent

• Houston: 1313
• Harris County: 1349
• TX: 1339
• U.S.: 1348

Share of income a typical renter spends on rent: 31.6% — U.S.: 30.2%

What it means

The typical household here earns $62,894 — notably lower than the national figure of $78,538.

The typical renter here spends 31.6% of household income on rent, above the 30% level housing agencies use to define cost burden.

Since 2015, rent has risen faster than income here (+50.4% versus +36.2%), before adjusting for inflation.