Dallas, TX vs Houston, TX
Side-by-side comparison · Updated Sep 2026
Report card
| Category | DallasDallas, TX | HoustonHouston, TX | Same grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| ReloScoreOverall grade | |||
| Affluence | Average | Average | |
| Cost of Living | |||
| Crime | High Risk | High Risk | Same |
| Education | |||
| Quality of Life | Good | Good | |
| Sovereignty | High Autonomy | Self-Reliant | |
| Strategic | Vulnerable | High Risk |
Grades rate each place against all US places. How grades work →
Comparison summary
236 mi separates Dallas, TX from Houston, TX in distance to coastline, with Dallas at 236 mi and Houston at 20 mi, an 11.7× difference in the 2023 Census figures. The two cities also diverge sharply on income benchmarks: the comfortable income for a family of 4 runs $84,336 in Dallas versus $146,809 in Houston, a 74% higher figure for Houston, and the comfortable income for a single person follows the same pattern at $57,371 versus $99,870, also 74% higher in Houston. Median home values sit at $295,300 in Dallas against $253,400 in Houston, making Dallas 17% higher, while median rent is $1,403 versus $1,313, a 7% gap.
Job growth over the past year moved in opposite directions, with Dallas at -0.6% and Houston at +1.0%, a 1.6-point difference. Work-from-home rates reach 14.0% in Dallas versus 11.7% in Houston, a 2.3-point spread. Healthcare access scores put Dallas at 85/100 and Houston at 71/100, a 14-point gap that places Dallas in the 51st percentile and Houston in the 33rd percentile. Violent crime rates are 577 per 100,000 in Dallas and 886 per 100,000 in Houston, with Houston 54% higher, while property crime runs 3,077 versus 3,815, a 24% higher figure for Houston.
Population totals differ substantially, with Houston at 2,300,419 residents versus Dallas at 1,299,553, making Houston 77% larger. Unemployment is close at 4.2% in Dallas and 4.5% in Houston, and per-capita income is $44,138 in Dallas versus $41,142 in Houston, a 7% higher figure for Dallas. Air quality index values are 55 in Dallas and 61 in Houston, with Houston 11% higher, and average commute times are 26 minutes versus 27.3 minutes.
AI-generated and may contain mistakes. Verify any details that matter before acting on them. Generated Oct 2026.
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Where they differ most
Cost of living
| Metric | Dallas, TX | Houston, TX | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| COL indexCost of living index (100 = US) | 11458th pctl | 10451st pctl | Cost of living index (100 = US): Dallas, TX 114; Houston, TX 104; Dallas is 10% higher. |
| Home valueMedian home value | $295,30054th pctl | $253,40044th pctl | Median home value: Dallas, TX $295,300; Houston, TX $253,400; Dallas is 17% higher. |
| Median rent | $1,40364th pctl | $1,31358th pctl | Median rent: Dallas, TX $1,403; Houston, TX $1,313; Dallas is 7% higher. |
| Household incomeMedian household income | $67,76043rd pctl | $62,89434th pctl | Median household income: Dallas, TX $67,760; Houston, TX $62,894; Dallas is 8% higher. |
| Comfortable (single)Comfortable income (single) | $57,37155th pctl | $99,87085th pctl | Comfortable income (single): Dallas, TX $57,371; Houston, TX $99,870; Houston is 74% higher. |
| Comfortable (family)Comfortable income (family of 4) | $84,33655th pctl | $146,80985th pctl | Comfortable income (family of 4): Dallas, TX $84,336; Houston, TX $146,809; Houston is 74% higher. |
| AffordabilityHousing affordability | Affordable | Affordable | About the same |
Housing-adjusted salary
the same housing budget in Houston needs about
$68,400
Based only on local housing costs and incomes (cost-of-living index 114 vs 104). Leaves out taxes, groceries and transport. How it works →
Data: U.S. Census ACS 5-year, ReloMaps cost-of-living index (2023–2024).
Jobs & income
| Metric | Dallas, TX | Houston, TX | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment | 4.2%74th pctl | 4.5%83rd pctl | About the same |
| Job growthJob growth (YoY) | -0.6%11th pctl | +1.0%46th pctl | Job growth (YoY): Dallas, TX -0.6%; Houston, TX +1.0%; Houston is 1.6 points higher. |
| Per-capita income | $44,13866th pctl | $41,14260th pctl | Per-capita income: Dallas, TX $44,138; Houston, TX $41,142; Dallas is 7% higher. |
| Poverty rate | 17.2%74th pctl | 19.7%81st pctl | Poverty rate: Dallas, TX 17.2%; Houston, TX 19.7%; Houston is 2.5 points higher. |
| CommuteAverage commute | 26 min67th pctl | 27.3 min76th pctl | Average commute: Dallas, TX 26 min; Houston, TX 27.3 min; Houston is 1 minutes longer. |
| Work from home | 14.0%67th pctl | 11.7%56th pctl | Work from home: Dallas, TX 14.0%; Houston, TX 11.7%; Dallas is 2.3 points higher. |
| OpportunityEconomic opportunity | Stable | Stable | About the same |
| Job market | Stable | Stable | About the same |
Data: U.S. Census ACS 5-year, BLS (2023).
Safety
| Metric | Dallas, TX | Houston, TX | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimeViolent crime per 100k | 57789th pctl | 88697th pctl | Violent crime per 100k: Dallas, TX 577; Houston, TX 886; Houston is 54% higher. |
| Property crimeProperty crime per 100k | 3,07793rd pctl | 3,81596th pctl | Property crime per 100k: Dallas, TX 3,077; Houston, TX 3,815; Houston is 24% higher. |
| 5-yr trendViolent crime, 5-yr trend | Falling | Falling | |
| Crime & safety | Dangerous | Dangerous | About the same |
| Traffic safety | SafeCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | SafeCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | About the same |
Data: FBI Crime Data, NHTSA FARS (2025).
Quality of life
| Metric | Dallas, TX | Houston, TX | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air quality | GreatCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | ModerateCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | About the same |
| HealthcareHealthcare access | ExcellentCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | StrongCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | Healthcare access: Dallas, TX A; Houston, TX B+; Dallas is graded higher. |
| Tap water | Clean | Clean | About the same |
| Power grid | ReliableState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | ReliableState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | About the same |
| HomesteadingHomesteading potential | Prime | Prime | About the same |
| Disaster riskNational disaster risk | High-Risk | High-Risk | About the same |
4 rows not shown (data not available)
4 rows not shown: climate comfort, broadband and local food access aren't available for either place; walkability isn't available for Houston, TX.
Data: EPA AirData, NOAA NCEI, County Health Rankings, FCC, Geoapify POIs, EPA SDWIS, EIA, OpenStreetMap, FEMA National Risk Index (2022–2024).
Taxes & laws
Both are in Texas, so state taxes and state laws (homeschooling, firearms, property rights) are the same. See Texas →
Strategic location
How exposed each place is to large-scale disruption, based on distance from big cities, likely targets and natural hazards.
| Metric | Dallas, TX | Houston, TX | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large cityNearest large city | 2 mi2nd pctl | 0 mi0th pctl | Nearest large city: Dallas, TX 2 mi; Houston, TX 0 mi; Dallas is higher (Houston: 0 mi). |
| Target proximity | Weak | Poor | Target proximity: Dallas, TX C+; Houston, TX F; Dallas is graded higher. |
| To borderDistance to international border | 337 mi51st pctl | 290 mi43rd pctl | Distance to international border: Dallas, TX 337 mi; Houston, TX 290 mi; Dallas is 16% higher. |
| To coastDistance to coastline | 236 mi47th pctl | 20 mi15th pctl | Distance to coastline: Dallas, TX 236 mi; Houston, TX 20 mi; Dallas is 11.7 times higher. |
| StrategicStrategic location | Vulnerable | High Risk | Strategic location: Dallas, TX D; Houston, TX F; Dallas is graded higher. |
Data: ReloMaps strategic assessment.
People
| Metric | Dallas, TX | Houston, TX | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,299,553100th pctl | 2,300,419100th pctl | Population: Dallas, TX 1,299,553; Houston, TX 2,300,419; Houston is 77% larger. |
| DensityPopulation density (per sq mi) | 3,82685th pctl | 3,59084th pctl | Population density (per sq mi): Dallas, TX 3,826; Houston, TX 3,590; Dallas is 7% higher. |
| Median age | 33.416th pctl | 34.321st pctl | About the same |
| Bachelor's+Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.4%62nd pctl | 36.0%59th pctl | Bachelor's degree or higher: Dallas, TX 37.4%; Houston, TX 36.0%; Dallas is 1.4 points higher. |
| Household sizeAverage household size | 2.449th pctl | 2.554th pctl | About the same |
More about Dallas's residents · Houston's residents
Data: U.S. Census ACS 5-year (2023).
Politics
Information only. Not part of any grade, difference or summary on this page.
Moving between Dallas and Houston
- Median rent: $1,403 in Dallas, $1,313 in Houston
- Median home value: $295,300 in Dallas, $253,400 in Houston
- Cost of living index (100 = US): 114 in Dallas, 104 in Houston
- Median household income: $67,760 in Dallas, $62,894 in Houston
- Comfortable income (family of 4): $84,336 in Dallas, $146,809 in Houston
- Unemployment: 4.2% in Dallas, 4.5% in Houston
- Average commute: 26 min in Dallas, 27.3 min in Houston
- Violent crime per 100k: 577 in Dallas, 886 in Houston
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- Data: Cost of living: U.S. Census ACS 5-year, ReloMaps cost-of-living index (2023–2024).
- Data: Jobs & income: U.S. Census ACS 5-year, BLS (2023).
- Data: Safety: FBI Crime Data, NHTSA FARS (2025).
- Data: Quality of life: EPA AirData, NOAA NCEI, County Health Rankings, FCC, Geoapify POIs, EPA SDWIS, EIA, OpenStreetMap, FEMA National Risk Index (2022–2024).
- Data: Strategic location: ReloMaps strategic assessment.
- Data: People: U.S. Census ACS 5-year (2023).
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area.
Narrative content on this page is AI-generated and may contain mistakes. Verify any details that matter before acting on them.
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