Garland
Rent: $1,563. Salary needed: $57,287.
TX city profile
Houston Cost of Living
Houston is a energy, healthcare, and large metro market in Texas, useful for starter comparisons around rent, housing, utilities, wages, benefits, insurance, and moving costs.
Median rent$1,549
Home price$265,062
Salary needed$61,960
Move score81/100
Decision Brief
What Houston Means for a Monthly Budget
Start here before diving into source readiness: this translates the starter numbers into the first budget questions a mover would ask.
Housing floor
Rent plus utilities
$1,969/moStarter monthly baseline before insurance, transportation, childcare, debt, healthcare, and deposits.
Income fit
Rent share
30%Rent as a share of the monthly income target of $5,163.
Best next check
Verify utilities
81/100A middle-to-strong starter relocation signal for comparison shopping.
| Budget item | Starter value | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Rent benchmark | $1,549/mo | Use this as the first housing filter before deposits, parking, pet rent, and insurance. |
| Rent plus utilities | $1,969/mo | A starter housing floor for comparing monthly pressure across nearby cities. |
| Monthly income target | $5,163/mo | Derived from the annual salary-needed estimate; verify taxes and household size later. |
| Home price signal | $265,062 | Useful for buy-versus-rent screening before taxes, insurance, HOA, and mortgage rates. |
| Groceries index | 99 | Directional grocery pressure benchmark until source-backed local rows are added. |
Metric Readiness
Houston Cost Data Checklist
3 of 6 metrics have source-backed rows.
| Metric | Current Value | Review Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549 | Source-backed | Zillow Observed Rent Index city all-homes rent, Apr 30, 2026 |
| Home price | $265,062 | Source-backed | Zillow Home Value Index city all-homes mid-tier value, Apr 30, 2026 |
| Utilities | $420/mo | Starter estimate | Needs metric-level source row |
| Groceries index | 99 | Starter estimate | Needs metric-level source row |
| Salary needed | $61,960 | Source-backed | Zillow ZORI rent at 30 percent gross-income affordability benchmark, Apr 30, 2026 |
| Move score | 81/100 | Starter estimate | Needs metric-level source row |
City Snapshot
Houston Budget Signals
Starter comparisons against the current Texas city set.
Near state average
Rent Position
$1,549Near the state starter average.
Lower salary target
Salary Fit
$61,960$1,437 below the state starter average.
Monthly pressure
Utilities
$420Starter monthly utility benchmark before provider and home-efficiency checks.
Move score
Relocation Signal
81/100A middle-to-strong starter relocation signal for comparison shopping.
Budget Read
Salary Needed Estimate
A starter household income estimate for comparing cities is $61,960. The next data pass should split this by household size, tax profile, debt payments, and renter versus homeowner scenarios.
Median rent$1,549
Home price$265,062
Utilities$420/mo
Groceries99
Salary needed$61,960
Move score81/100
Data note
The metric readiness table marks which numbers are backed by metric-level source rows and which remain starter estimates. Replace starter estimates with sourced rows before publishing advice pages at scale.
Move Readiness
Before Moving to Houston
Treat this as a short pre-move screen. It turns the starter profile into a practical checklist for budget, support, and bill-risk research.
Budget
Confirm the full monthly stack
Start with $1,549 rent and $420 utilities, then add insurance, transportation, healthcare, childcare, debt, and deposits.
Comparison
Test cheaper nearby options
Houston is Near the Texas starter rent average, so compare at least two other city pages before choosing a lease.
Benefits
Check local support before a crisis
Open the Houston benefits page for food, healthcare, rent, utility, and local intake pathways.
Bills
Price the recurring bill risks
Quote insurance, mobile, internet, utilities, and debt payments early so the rent number does not hide the real monthly pressure.
Compare Nearby
Houston Versus Other Texas Markets
Use these starter comparisons to decide which city page or calculator to open next.
Next Actions
Plan Around Houston
Move from the city profile into practical tools and local support paths.