Austin, TX vs Houston, TX

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Austin

68.3

#1322 nationally

Houston

72.1

#926 nationally

Austin leads in median household income ($91,461 vs $57,791). Houston leads in cost of living index (96 vs 129). Austin leads in school rating (7.2 vs 5.5).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Austin, TX	Houston, TX
WhereAtHome Score	68.3 (#1322)	72.1 (#926)
Population	967,862	2,314,157
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$504,148	$263,563
Median Household Income	$91,461	$57,791
Average Commute	26.8 min	28.5 min
Walk Score	42	48
Crime Level	Moderate	Moderate-High
School Rating	7.2	5.5
Cost of Living Index	129	96
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+39.3	D+5.5