Monthly rent
$111 reported gap
Exceeds combined MOESum of reported MOEs: $17.
City housing comparison
Houston vs Dallas: Housing Costs Compared
Compare Houston, TX and Dallas, TX using 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year housing and income estimates.
Quick answer
Houston has lower reported median rent
Median gross rent is $111 lower per month in Houston. The income associated with a 30% rent target is $4,500 lower per year there.
This is a housing baseline, not an overall winner or a complete cost-of-living comparison.
Evidence, before conclusions
How much does the gap tell us?
Point estimates show the reported difference. Margins of error help put it in context.
Annual household income
$5,705 reported gap
Exceeds combined MOESum of reported MOEs: $1,639.
Home value
$42,900 reported gap
Exceeds combined MOESum of reported MOEs: $8,864.
This is a conservative screen using the sum of two 90% MOEs, not a formal significance test. An inconclusive result does not mean the cities are equal. Read the comparison rule ↗
Side-by-side data
Housing and income benchmarks
| Metric | Houston | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,361/mo±$8 MOE | $1,472/mo±$9 MOE |
| Income for 30% rent target | $54,400±$300 derived MOE | $58,900±$400 derived MOE |
| Median household income | $64,813±$822 MOE | $70,518±$817 MOE |
| Median home value | $277,800±$3,403 MOE | $320,700±$5,461 MOE |
| Home value-to-income | 4.3x | 4.5x |
| Owner-occupied homes | 42% | 42% |
Decision signals
What the differences mean
01
Renting baseline
Houston has $111 lower reported monthly median gross rent. Keeping that rent near 30% of gross income corresponds to $4,500 less annual household income than in Dallas.
02
Household income context
Dallas reports $5,705 higher median household income. Citywide medians do not show an individual household's job offer, debt or family size.
03
Buying pressure
Houston reports a $42,900 lower median home value. Houston has the lower home value-to-income baseline by 0.3x. This does not include mortgage rates, taxes, insurance, maintenance or down payment requirements.
04
Ownership mix
Dallas has an owner-occupied share 0.4 percentage points higher. Ownership share describes occupied housing, not homes currently available for sale.
City guide
Houston, TX
Review state rankings, annual rent and the personal income calculator.
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Dallas, TX
Review state rankings, annual rent and the personal income calculator.
Open Dallas guideCity comparison tool
Two cities.
One clear comparison.
The same 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year source, definitions and calculations.
Comparison questions
Which city has lower median rent?
Houston has lower reported median gross rent by $111 per month in the 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates.
Which city needs less income for the 30% rent benchmark?
Houston has the lower reported annual income target by $4,500.
Does this compare total cost of living?
No. It compares housing, household income and ownership measures. Food, transportation, taxes, health care and live listings are outside the current scope.
Good research deserves a source.
MoveCostCompare. “Houston, Texas vs Dallas, Texas: housing costs.” U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates. Reported monthly median gross rent: Houston $1,361 (90% MOE ±$8); Dallas $1,472 (90% MOE ±$9). https://movecostcompare.com/compare/houston-vs-dallas. Survey estimates, not live asking rents.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates. Latest release checked Oct 01, 2026 at 03:00 UTC. Review the definitions and methodology.