At a glance
For the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area (CBSA 26420), BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity is 98.6 (U.S. = 100). Census ACS 2020–2024 estimates median gross rent at $1,430 per month and a 45+ minute commute share of 22.0% among workers who commute. These are metro estimates, not current asking rents, neighborhood figures or an individual commute forecast.
Sources: BLS wages (May 2025) · BEA price parity (2024) · Census ACS (2020–2024) · metro areas, not city limits · How we calculate
How Houston compares with the other 74 metros
Each measure below is ranked across the 75 curated metros, where 1st means the highest value. A high or low rank describes the number, not whether the metro is a better or worse place to live.
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| Measure | Houston | Middle value of 75 metros | Rank (1st = highest) |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEA 2024 all-items price parity (U.S. = 100) | 98.6 | 98.4 | 37th of 75 |
| ACS median gross rent per month | $1,430 | $1,430 | 37th of 75 |
| ACS median household income | $82,168 | $83,460 | 42nd of 75 |
| ACS share of commuters with 45+ minute trips | 22.0% | 13.2% | 10th of 75 |
The metros with the closest BEA price parity are Boise City (98.4), Raleigh (98.2), Austin (98.1). Similar price levels do not imply similar wages, rents or job markets; compare them with the city comparison pages or the interactive tool.
Where pay ranks highest and lowest in Houston
For each occupation reported in at least 50 metros, we ranked Houston’s price-adjusted median against the other metros reporting the same occupation. These ranks compare published medians for one occupation at a time; they are not measures of openings or of how an employer will pay.
Highest relative to other metros
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| Occupation | Adjusted median | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | $68,306 | 3rd of 75 |
| Mechanical Engineers | $127,092 | 5th of 74 |
| Environmental Engineers | $129,110 | 5th of 71 |
| Electrical Engineers | $132,892 | 7th of 73 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $115,017 | 12th of 75 |
Lowest relative to other metros
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| Occupation | Adjusted median | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks | $30,316 | 74th of 74 |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,776 | 72nd of 75 |
| Carpenters | $50,360 | 71st of 75 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | $47,359 | 70th of 75 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $40,941 | 69th of 75 |
Occupation wages in the Houston metro area
Large Gulf Coast economy including energy, healthcare and logistics. The BLS geographic unit is Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (CBSA 26420), rather than the limits of Houston city. Salary medians cannot be directly compared to a specific employer or neighborhood.
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| Occupation | Annual median wage | Adjusted median* | Employment estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | $119,600 | $121,263 | 97,320 |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,340 | $31,776 | 78,960 |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $101,218 | 65,910 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $40,380 | $40,941 | 65,510 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $38,000 | $38,528 | 52,520 |
| Office Clerks, General | $40,370 | $40,931 | 50,040 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,840 | $57,630 | 49,750 |
| Project Management Specialists | $99,510 | $100,893 | 35,550 |
| Construction Laborers | $41,350 | $41,925 | 34,080 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $46,750 | $47,400 | 33,710 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | $46,710 | $47,359 | 32,050 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $65,397 | 30,980 |
Show all 80 occupations, alphabetically
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The table lists the 12 occupations with the highest BLS estimated employment in this metro, not an attractiveness ranking; the full list is expandable and its columns can be sorted. The price-adjusted wage equals the BLS May 2025 annual occupational median × 100 ÷ the BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity. Census rent, household income and commuting figures are ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. They describe different populations and do not determine take-home pay, employment prospects or individual rent. ACS gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated utility and fuel costs.
Occupational wage distribution examples
These occupations are selected by the highest BLS estimated employment within our curated career set for this metro—not by pay or predicted demand. Annual wage percentiles are descriptive estimates and can be suppressed independently.
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| Occupation | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | $50,490 | $74,060 | $119,600 | $191,470 | $296,070 |
| Retail Salespersons | $23,350 | $28,000 | $31,340 | $36,820 | $45,670 |
| Registered Nurses | $74,860 | $81,890 | $99,830 | $116,000 | $130,440 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $28,600 | $35,610 | $40,380 | $48,500 | $59,840 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $29,660 | $33,000 | $38,000 | $46,150 | $52,270 |
| Office Clerks, General | $24,570 | $31,200 | $40,370 | $50,800 | $63,190 |
The employment estimate indicates modeled occupational employment, not current job openings. Missing percentiles remain Unavailable. Each job classification has a different population and wage distribution.
Understanding the local context
BEA reports a 2024 all-items regional price parity of 98.629. It reflects the general price level of goods and services in this metro compared with 100 nationwide. The Census ACS reports median gross rent of $1,430 (MOE ±$6) and median household income of $82,168 (MOE ±$590) over 2020–2024.
ACS gross rent includes estimated utilities and is not an asking-rent median. Household income covers all household earnings, so it is not comparable to one worker’s wage. The 45+ minute commute share is 22.0% of workers who travel to work, excluding people who work from home.
Neither the rent nor household-income median exceeds our 30% relative-MOE quality-warning threshold; estimates still have uncertainty.
From the Houston metro average to a neighborhood choice
This profile covers the full Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX region. Its wage, rent and commute measures cannot show how a specific neighborhood or route compares with another.
- Compare current listings for similar unit sizes and move-in dates in the areas you are considering.
- Check a likely home-to-work route at the hours and by the travel mode you expect to use.
- Enter your own housing quote and offer in the private relocation worksheet; keep it separate from the public metro benchmarks.
This dataset has no neighborhood-level rent or commute estimates.
Using Houston figures in a real moving budget
The BEA index places the broad metropolitan price level approximately 1.4% below the U.S. reference. At the published ACS median gross rent of $1,430 per month, twelve months of that survey benchmark would total $17,160. This is simple annualization of a survey median, not a current listing price or a budget recommendation.
The 22.0% long-commute share does not tell you how long a trip from a specific neighborhood to a specific employer will take. Gather a real offer and recent rental quotes first, then enter the unadjusted gross offer in the worksheet.
Compare with another metro
Explore two-area price, housing and wage comparisons. These source-backed pages are not rankings of which city is best for you.