Dallas vs Houston
Dallas, TX · Houston, TX
Houston is 4% cheaper than Dallas overall.
Home Price
Dallas: $370,000
Houston: $320,000
Monthly Rent
Dallas: $1,275/mo
Houston: $1,262/mo
COL Index
Dallas: 105
Houston: 101
Median Income
Dallas: $69,400
Houston: $67,800
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in Dallas has the same purchasing power as $96,190 in Houston — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in Houston cost 14% more (-$50,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in Houston saves you $13/month — $156 per year. Median rent: $1,275/mo in Dallas vs $1,262/mo in Houston.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, Dallas owners pay roughly $6,660/year in property taxes vs $6,080/year in Houston. That's a $580 annual difference.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $69,400 in Dallas and $67,800 in Houston. Incomes are similar, so cost of living differences matter more.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 28 minutes in Dallas vs 29 minutes in Houston. Commute times are nearly identical.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Dallas to Houston, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in Dallas | Equivalent in Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $48,095 | -$1,905 |
| $75,000 | $72,143 | -$2,857 |
| $100,000 | $96,190 | -$3,810 |
| $150,000 | $144,286 | -$5,714 |
| $200,000 | $192,381 | -$7,619 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
Mortgage Calculator
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Rent vs Buy
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Cost of Living
Full cost of living comparison tool
Home Appreciation
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Affordability Calculator
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Property Tax Calculator
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Dallas Calculators
Houston Calculators
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Dallas vs Houston: Common Questions
Is Dallas or Houston cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, Houston is cheaper overall. Dallas has a COL index of 105 while Houston scores 101 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between Dallas and Houston?
The median home price in Dallas is $370,000 vs $320,000 in Houston — a difference of $50,000 (14%).
What salary do I need in Houston to match my Dallas income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Dallas is equivalent to $96,190 in Houston in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
Dallas has a lower property tax rate (1.8% vs 1.9%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $6,080/year vs $6,660/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.