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What it actually costs to live in Houston right now.
Every number sourced. Checked this month.
Houston prices run a little under the national average, and rents are drifting down. A Greater Houston Partnership reading of the C2ER index puts it 6.3% below the national urban average (Q2 data, published Sep 2026). The catch is in the bills that don’t show up in a rent listing: property tax stacked across five or six taxing bodies, flood insurance, and a new city trash fee. Here is what each one costs now.
Numbers last checked October 31, 2026The numbers
Apartment List figures are medians on new leases. RentCafe figures are averages for large managed buildings, which run newer and pricier. We show both so you can see the range.
| Topic | What | Cost | Since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | ||||
| Rent | 1-bedroom, median | $1,116 | Oct 2026 data | Apartment List |
| Rent | 2-bedroom, median | $1,323 | Oct 2026 data | Apartment List |
| Rent | Change in city median, year over year | −2.2% | Oct 2026 data | Apartment List |
| Rent | 1-bedroom, average (large buildings) | $1,193 | Sep 30, 2026 | RentCafe (Yardi Matrix) |
| Rent | 2-bedroom, average (large buildings) | $1,506 | Sep 30, 2026 | RentCafe (Yardi Matrix) |
| Buying | ||||
| Home prices | Single-family median sale price | $325,000 | Sep 2026 | HAR (via My Neighborhood News) |
| Home prices | Townhome/condo median | $209,000 | Sep 2026 | HAR |
| Mortgage | Monthly principal and interest on median home, 20% down, 6.86% rate | $1,705 | Sep 2026 | HAR |
| Property tax (per $100 of value) | ||||
| Property tax | Harris County | $0.41750 | 2026 tax year | FOX 26 |
| Property tax | Harris County Flood Control District | $0.05266 | 2026 tax year | FOX 26 |
| Property tax | Harris Health (hospital district) | $0.19528 | 2026 tax year | FOX 26 |
| Property tax | City of Houston (proposed, held flat; final vote not yet confirmed) | $0.51919 | 2026 tax year (same as the 2025 adopted rate) | Community Impact |
| Sales tax | Combined rate in Houston (state 6.25% + city 1% + METRO 1%) | 8.25% | Checked Oct 31, 2026 | Greater Houston Partnership; METRO share from Comptroller transit rates |
| Bills and getting around | ||||
| Trash | Solid waste fee, homes with city pickup | $5/mo | Jul 1, 2026 | City of Houston |
| Electricity | CenterPoint delivery: fixed charge ($2.11 customer + $2.79 meter) | $4.90/mo | Checked Oct 31, 2026 | CenterPoint Energy |
| Electricity | CenterPoint delivery: per kWh (plan-site figure; tariff not reached) | 6.53¢ | After the Sep 2026 update | ElectricityPlans; Rhythm reported 6.41¢ from Sep 1, 2026 |
| Transit | METRO local bus or rail ride (a $3 Day Pass covers unlimited local rides) | $1.25 | Checked Oct 31, 2026 | METRO |
| Flood insurance | Typical NFIP premium, Harris County (estimate, not FEMA data) | ~$1,251/yr | 2026 | Harbert Group, citing Insurify |
| Pay and prices | ||||
| Income | Median household income, city of Houston (±$1,735) | $64,361 | 2024 ACS 1-year | Census Reporter |
| Income | Median household income, metro | ~$81,000 | 2024 | Houston Chronicle (Census ACS) |
| Wages | Mean hourly wage, all jobs (U.S. $33.54) | $32.51 | May 2025 | BLS |
| Living wage | One adult, no kids | $22.19/hr | Feb 15, 2026 | MIT |
| Prices | Inflation, all items, year over year | +1.3% | Aug 2026 | BLS CPI |
| Prices | Groceries (food at home), year over year | +1.8% | Aug 2026 | BLS CPI |
| Jobs | Metro unemployment (preliminary) | 4.6% | Sep 2026 | BLS |
Houston homeowners also pay a school district rate and community college and HCDE rates, and many suburbs add a MUD rate. We have not yet confirmed the 2026 HISD rate, so it is not in this table.
Neighborhood rents
Average rent across all unit sizes in large managed buildings, from RentCafe (as of Sep 30, 2026). These are not 1-bedroom prices, and new luxury buildings push the inner-loop numbers up.
Across the metro, Apartment List’s median runs from $1,705 in The Woodlands to $1,127 in Humble (Oct 2026 data).
Out-of-date numbers you’ll still find online
The city’s first residential trash fee started Jul 1, 2026. It is fixed for two years and could climb toward $25 by 2032.
The county raised its 2026 rate about 9.6%. The county judge estimated roughly $120 more a year for the average taxpayer.
Guides built on 2023 peak rents overstate costs. The city median is falling year over year as of October 2026.
The school-tax exemption went up statewide in Nov 2025. See Texas taxes.
Same everywhere in Texas
No state income tax, the 8.25% sales tax ceiling, the $140,000 homestead exemption, vehicle fees and insurance averages are on our Texas taxes and pay page and the Texas overview. To see Houston next to Dallas, Austin and the rest, use the city comparison.
Flood maps: FEMA released draft Harris County flood maps in Feb 2026. Some areas move into the floodplain and others move out, and county flood officials said the maps could take two to three years to become final (KPRC, Feb 12, 2026; background at MAAPnext).
How we check
Every figure links to its source and shows the date it applies to. We prefer the agency that produces the number and label anything from a broker, marketplace or aggregator. Read the full methodology.