Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Houston, TX

    Is Houston a good place to live?

    Watch Houston

    Houston ranks #121 of 132 Texas cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (28/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population grew 0.2% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $253,400
    +7.8% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,313
    per month
    Household income
    $62,894
    median
    Unemployment
    6.7%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Houston

    The median home value in Houston is $253,400 and median rent is $1,313 a month, against a median household income of $62,894. Homes cost about 4.0× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Houston crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Texas the 2025 rate was 349 violent and 1,813 property crimes per 100,000 people — #13 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Houston, TX

    Houston has about 2,300,419 residents, 6.7% unemployment and 21% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Houston with

    Houston vs San AntonioHouston vs DallasHouston vs AustinHouston vs Fort WorthHouston vs El PasoHouston vs ArlingtonHouston vs Corpus ChristiHouston vs Plano

    More: Where to move in Texas · Best counties in Texas

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report