Houston, TX vs New Orleans, LA
Side-by-side comparison · Updated Jun 2026
Report card
| Category | HoustonHouston, TX | New OrleansNew Orleans, LA | Same grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| ReloScoreOverall grade | |||
| Affluence | Average | Average | Same |
| Cost of Living | Same | ||
| Crime | High Risk | Moderate | |
| Education | |||
| Quality of Life | Good | Great | |
| Sovereignty | Self-Reliant | High Autonomy | |
| Strategic | High Risk | Vulnerable |
Grades rate each place against all US places. How grades work →
Comparison summary
At 61, Houston, TX has a higher air quality index than New Orleans, LA, whose AQI is 41, placing Houston in the 96th percentile and New Orleans in the 42nd percentile in 2024 data. Property crime per 100,000 people is 3,815 in Houston versus 1,418 in New Orleans, a difference of 2.7 times higher for Houston, which ranks in the 96th percentile compared to New Orleans in the 54th. Traffic deaths per 100,000 people are 19 in Houston and 57 in New Orleans, with New Orleans 3.0 times higher and in the 91st percentile versus Houston in the 59th. The average commute in Houston is 27.3 minutes, 5 minutes longer than New Orleans's 22.7 minutes, putting Houston in the 76th percentile and New Orleans in the 45th. Healthcare access scores differ substantially: New Orleans scores 100 out of 100, 29 points higher than Houston's 71, placing New Orleans in the 90th percentile and Houston in the 33rd. The median age in New Orleans is 38.4 years, 4.1 years older than Houston's 34.3, with New Orleans in the 53rd percentile and Houston in the 21st. Distance to an international border is 536 miles for New Orleans, 85% higher than Houston's 290 miles.
AI-generated and may contain mistakes. Verify any details that matter before acting on them. Generated Oct 2026.
Looking at homes in Houston or New Orleans?
Get a property report for a specific address.
Free account required. Your first report is free.
Where they differ most
Cost of living
| Metric | Houston, TX | New Orleans, LA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| COL indexCost of living index (100 = US) | 10451st pctl | 10552nd pctl | About the same |
| Home valueMedian home value | $253,40044th pctl | $296,40055th pctl | Median home value: Houston, TX $253,400; New Orleans, LA $296,400; New Orleans is 17% higher. |
| Median rent | $1,31358th pctl | $1,21151st pctl | Median rent: Houston, TX $1,313; New Orleans, LA $1,211; Houston is 8% higher. |
| Household incomeMedian household income | $62,89434th pctl | $55,33921st pctl | Median household income: Houston, TX $62,894; New Orleans, LA $55,339; Houston is 14% higher. |
| Comfortable (single)Comfortable income (single) | $99,87085th pctl | $57,58555th pctl | Comfortable income (single): Houston, TX $99,870; New Orleans, LA $57,585; Houston is 73% higher. |
| Comfortable (family)Comfortable income (family of 4) | $146,80985th pctl | $84,65055th pctl | Comfortable income (family of 4): Houston, TX $146,809; New Orleans, LA $84,650; Houston is 73% higher. |
| AffordabilityHousing affordability | Affordable | Stretched | Housing affordability: Houston, TX B+; New Orleans, LA C+; Houston is graded higher. |
Housing-adjusted salary
the same housing budget in New Orleans needs about
$75,700
Based only on local housing costs and incomes (cost-of-living index 104 vs 105). 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 | Houston, TX | New Orleans, LA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment | 4.5%83rd pctl | 4.9%89th pctl | About the same |
| Job growthJob growth (YoY) | +1.0%46th pctl | +0.3%29th pctl | Job growth (YoY): Houston, TX +1.0%; New Orleans, LA +0.3%; Houston is 0.7 points higher. |
| Per-capita income | $41,14260th pctl | $39,69856th pctl | About the same |
| Poverty rate | 19.7%81st pctl | 22.6%88th pctl | Poverty rate: Houston, TX 19.7%; New Orleans, LA 22.6%; New Orleans is 2.9 points higher. |
| CommuteAverage commute | 27.3 min76th pctl | 22.7 min45th pctl | Average commute: Houston, TX 27.3 min; New Orleans, LA 22.7 min; Houston is 5 minutes longer. |
| Work from home | 11.7%56th pctl | 13.7%65th pctl | Work from home: Houston, TX 11.7%; New Orleans, LA 13.7%; New Orleans is 2.0 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 | Houston, TX | New Orleans, LA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimeViolent crime per 100k | 88697th pctl | 35271st pctl | Violent crime per 100k: Houston, TX 886; New Orleans, LA 352; Houston is 2.5 times higher. |
| Property crimeProperty crime per 100k | 3,81596th pctl | 1,41854th pctl | Property crime per 100k: Houston, TX 3,815; New Orleans, LA 1,418; Houston is 2.7 times higher. |
| 5-yr trendViolent crime, 5-yr trend | Falling | Falling | |
| Crime & safety | Dangerous | Fair | Crime & safety: Houston, TX F; New Orleans, LA C+; New Orleans is graded higher. |
| Traffic safety | SafeCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | DangerousCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | Traffic safety: Houston, TX B-; New Orleans, LA F; Houston is graded higher. |
Data: FBI Crime Data, NHTSA FARS (2025).
Quality of life
| Metric | Houston, TX | New Orleans, LA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air quality | ModerateCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | GreatCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | Air quality: Houston, TX B+; New Orleans, LA A+; New Orleans is graded higher. |
| HealthcareHealthcare access | StrongCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | ExcellentCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | Healthcare access: Houston, TX B+; New Orleans, LA A+; New Orleans is graded higher. |
| Tap water | Clean | Poor | Tap water: Houston, TX B+; New Orleans, LA D-; Houston is graded higher. |
| 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 isn't available for Houston, TX; broadband, walkability and local food access aren't available for either place.
Data: EPA AirData, NOAA NCEI, County Health Rankings, FCC, Geoapify POIs, EPA SDWIS, EIA, OpenStreetMap, FEMA National Risk Index (2022–2024).
Taxes & laws
| Metric | Houston, TX | New Orleans, LA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxes | FriendlyState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | ModerateState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | About the same |
| HomeschoolHomeschool rules | noneState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | lowState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | |
| FirearmsFirearm laws grade | AState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | BState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | |
| Property rightsProperty rights (eminent domain) | B-State figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | BState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | |
| EnergyEnergy production | Net exporterState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | Net exporterState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. |
Data: Tax Foundation, state statutes.
Strategic location
How exposed each place is to large-scale disruption, based on distance from big cities, likely targets and natural hazards.
| Metric | Houston, TX | New Orleans, LA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large cityNearest large city | 0 mi0th pctl | 12 mi14th pctl | Nearest large city: Houston, TX 0 mi; New Orleans, LA 12 mi; New Orleans is higher (Houston: 0 mi). |
| Target proximity | Poor | Good | Target proximity: Houston, TX F; New Orleans, LA B+; New Orleans is graded higher. |
| To borderDistance to international border | 290 mi43rd pctl | 536 mi74th pctl | Distance to international border: Houston, TX 290 mi; New Orleans, LA 536 mi; New Orleans is 85% higher. |
| To coastDistance to coastline | 20 mi15th pctl | 7 mi8th pctl | Distance to coastline: Houston, TX 20 mi; New Orleans, LA 7 mi; Houston is 2.9 times higher. |
| StrategicStrategic location | High Risk | Vulnerable | Strategic location: Houston, TX F; New Orleans, LA D; New Orleans is graded higher. |
Data: ReloMaps strategic assessment.
People
| Metric | Houston, TX | New Orleans, LA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,300,419100th pctl | 376,03598th pctl | Population: Houston, TX 2,300,419; New Orleans, LA 376,035; Houston is 6.1 times larger. |
| DensityPopulation density (per sq mi) | 3,59084th pctl | 2,21765th pctl | Population density (per sq mi): Houston, TX 3,590; New Orleans, LA 2,217; Houston is 62% higher. |
| Median age | 34.321st pctl | 38.453rd pctl | Median age: Houston, TX 34.3; New Orleans, LA 38.4; New Orleans is 4.1 years older. |
| Bachelor's+Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.0%59th pctl | 42.0%70th pctl | Bachelor's degree or higher: Houston, TX 36.0%; New Orleans, LA 42.0%; New Orleans is 6.0 points higher. |
| Household sizeAverage household size | 2.554th pctl | 2.336th pctl | Average household size: Houston, TX 2.5; New Orleans, LA 2.3; Houston is 6% larger. |
More about Houston's residents · New Orleans's residents
Data: U.S. Census ACS 5-year (2023).
Politics
Information only. Not part of any grade, difference or summary on this page.
| Measure | HoustonHouston, TX | New OrleansNew Orleans, LA |
|---|---|---|
| Cook PVI | D+21 | D+17 |
| 2024 presidential | D +40.0 pts | D +32.0 pts |
Full politics data: Houston · New Orleans
Moving between Houston and New Orleans
- Median rent: $1,313 in Houston, $1,211 in New Orleans
- Median home value: $253,400 in Houston, $296,400 in New Orleans
- Cost of living index (100 = US): 104 in Houston, 105 in New Orleans
- Median household income: $62,894 in Houston, $55,339 in New Orleans
- Comfortable income (family of 4): $146,809 in Houston, $84,650 in New Orleans
- Unemployment: 4.5% in Houston, 4.9% in New Orleans
- Average commute: 27.3 min in Houston, 22.7 min in New Orleans
- Violent crime per 100k: 886 in Houston, 352 in New Orleans
Weigh these by what matters to you
ReloMaps in ChatGPT can look at Houston and New Orleans against your own priorities, like budget, commute or climate.
Use ReloMaps in ChatGPT →Found a home in Houston or New Orleans?
A property report covers the address itself: the block, the neighbourhood data, risks and more, beyond these city-wide figures.
Free account required. Your first report is free.
Compare a different pair
People also compare
More places like Houston and New Orleans
- 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: Taxes & laws: Tax Foundation, state statutes.
- 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.
ReloMaps may earn a commission from affiliate links at no extra cost to you.