Houston: Housing & Real Estate
Houston's median home value is $277,800 (estimated market value runs 24% higher at $343,855), with median rent $1,361 (about the same as Harris County median $1,401; about the same as Texas median $1,403). Homeownership rate: 42.1%. That's about the same as the Harris County median ($276,600); about the same as the Texas median ($283,800). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 10.4%. New construction makes up 16.8% of stock. 268 nursing facilities on file. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 4.3× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs Texas 3.9×).
- 17.0 years to break even renting at the median (vs Texas 17y).
- 4-BR rent is 2.1× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 13% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $277,800 — 1.0× the Texas median ($277,800). Median rent $1,361/month. homeownership rate 42.1% — below the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Price To Income Ratio | 4.3× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Rent To Income Pct | 25.2% |
| Affordability · Interpretation | moderate |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $1,280 (at Texas median) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $1,323 (at Texas median) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $1,573 (at Texas median) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $2,116 (at Texas median) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $2,639 (at Texas median) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $343,855 |
| Median Home Value | $277,800 (at Texas median) |
| Median Rent | $1,361 (at Texas median) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | warm |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 10.4% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 16.8% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 9.6% |
| Housing Orgs · Total count | 418 |
Sources: IRS BMF NTEE L
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Facilities (15)
Systems (5)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Texas median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Texas median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Texas median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 83.2% (at Texas median) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 1,179,315 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 14.94¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 12547863 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $24,652 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Texas median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Texas median) |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Charging & Mobility
| Ev Charging · Stations | 419 |
|---|---|
| Ev Charging · Public Stations | 392 |
| Ev Charging · L2 Ports | 1,010 |
| Ev Charging · Dc Fast Ports | 551 |
Sources: DOE AFDC API
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 42.1% (vs Texas 57.0%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1982 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12