Texas › Compare cities
Compare Texas cities.
Twelve cities. One table. Every number sourced.
Rent, home prices, income, price level and living wage side by side. Read the notes under the table before you compare two cells: some home prices are for a city, some for a metro or county, and they cover different months. A dash means we have not yet found a figure we trust.
Numbers last checked October 31, 2026The comparison
| City | 1BR rent | 2BR rent | Median home price | Median household income | Price level (U.S. = 100) | Living wage, 1 adult |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big five metros | ||||||
| Houston | $1,116 | $1,323 | $325,000a | $64,361 | 98.6 | $22.19 |
| Dallas | $1,207 | $1,428 | $399,900b | $70,518c5 | 103.1 | $24.14 |
| Fort Worth | $1,141 | $1,317 | $399,900b | $82,503 | 103.1 | $24.14 |
| Austin | $1,172 | $1,426 | $560,000d | $90,430 | 98.1 | $23.71 |
| San Antonio | $953 | $1,173 | $302,999e | $66,176 | 94.7 | $20.33 |
| Other cities | ||||||
| El Paso | $942 | $1,127 | $272,950f | $59,932 | 89.9 | — |
| Corpus Christi | $1,009 | $1,234 | $276,750f | $66,967 | 92.7 | — |
| Lubbock | $974 | $1,174 | $234,000f | $62,360 | 91.3 | — |
| McAllen | $850z | $1,100z | $250,000f | $60,907 | 85.9 | — |
| Waco | $1,127 all sizes | $290,000f | $56,548 | 92.6 | — | |
| College Station | $1,244 all sizes | $318,000f | $50,523 | 91.0 | — | |
| Amarillo | $1,287 all sizes | $259,950f | $67,187 | 91.8 | — | |
| Statewide | ||||||
| Texas | — | — | $328,000f | $79,700s | 97.1 | $21.77 |
| Sources and dates. Rent: Apartment List city medians, Nov 2026 reports (Oct 2026 data), checked Oct 31, 2026 (College Station page labeled Oct 2026; McAllen marked z). Price level: BEA Regional Price Parities for the metro, 2024 data released Feb 19, 2026, via FRED. Living wage: MIT Living Wage Calculator, hourly pay for one adult with no children, metro level, updated Feb 15, 2026. Income: Census ACS 2024 1-year city figures via Census Reporter unless marked; the 2025 ACS came out Oct 29, 2026 and will replace these at the next update. Home prices: see notes. | ||||||
- a Greater Houston single-family median, HAR, Sep 2026.
- b 13-county DFW median, MLS sales over $100k, Apr 2025 to Apr 2026, via The Real Deal (published Jun 8, 2026). Not a city-only figure.
- c5 City of Dallas, Census ACS 2024 5-year, via Dallas Office of Economic Development (page updated Apr 22, 2026).
- z McAllen rent is a different measure: Zillow’s average asking rent for listed rentals, as of Sep 20, 2026, not an Apartment List median. Treat it as rough.
- d City of Austin median, Unlock MLS, Aug 2026. The Austin metro median was $412,000.
- e San Antonio area median, SABOR, Sep 2026.
- f Metro (MSA) median, Q1 2026, Texas REALTORS quarterly report using Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center data.
- s Texas, 2024, via USAFacts (Census ACS).
How to read this table
- Price level is the best single “is it cheaper here?” number. At 103.1, Dallas-Fort Worth is the only Texas metro above the national average. McAllen (85.9) is the cheapest city in this table; statewide Texas sits at 97.1 (BEA, Feb 2026). New 2025 figures are due Dec 10, 2026.
- Rent is a median on new leases. RentCafe-style averages for big managed buildings run $250 to $400 higher in the same city, so do not mix sources when comparing.
- Living wage for a family changes the ranking: for two working parents with two kids, Austin ($27.13 per adult) edges out DFW ($26.40) (MIT Austin, MIT DFW, Feb 15, 2026).
- Taxes are not in this table because property tax depends on the city, county, school district and special districts you live in. Each city page lists the rates we have confirmed. Statewide rules are on Texas taxes and pay.
How we check
We would rather leave a cell blank than fill it with an unsourced number. Every value links to its source. Read the full methodology.