USLivingCost Salaries · Rent · Cost of Living

Garland, TX vs. Houston, TX

Median rent is $1,525 a month in Garland, TX and $1,313 in Houston, TX. Household income is $74,717 against $62,894. Both cities are read from the same ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates and the same BEA Regional Price Parities 2023, so the two columns below are directly comparable.

$
Same standard of living
A salary of $100,000 in Garland, TX buys what $103,134 buys in Houston, TX
+$3,134 more to keep the same standard of living
Median gross rent Monthly
$1,525 $1,313 -13.9%
Median household income Annual
$74,717 $62,894 -15.8%
Median home value Owner-occupied
$248,900 $253,400 +1.8%
Rent as share of income Annual rent ÷ income
24.5% 25.1% 0.6 pp
Price level U.S. average = 100
97.2 100.2 +3.1%
Salary needed for median rent Keeps rent at 30% of gross
$61,000 $52,500 -13.9%
Rent median income carries at 30% Affordable rent
$1,868 $1,572 -15.8%
Population City proper
245,298 2,300,419 +837.8%
Equivalent salary For $100,000 in Garland
$100,000 $103,134 +3.1%

A green or red badge means the second city is higher or lower, not better or worse: a lower rent is good for a tenant, a lower household income is not. For the price level and
the share of income the raw values are shown, because a percentage difference between two
percentages is easy to misread.

What the gap means

Lower rent
$1,313
Houston, TX · 16.1% below Garland, TX
Higher household income
$74,717
Garland, TX · 18.8% above Houston, TX
Same standard of living
$103,134
$100,000 in Garland, TX needs $103,134 in Houston, TX
Price level gap
3.0 points
97.2 in TX against 100.2 in TX
Rent burden gap
0.6 points
Houston, TX versus Garland, TX, share of income taken by rent
Highest buying power
102.9%
Garland, TX · share of the national average income that a dollar there buys

Garland, TX vs Houston, TX: frequently asked questions

Is Houston, TX more expensive than Garland, TX?

Yes. Prices in Houston, TX are about 3.1% higher than in Garland, TX: a regional price level of 100.2 against 97.2, where the U.S. average is 100.

How much do I need to earn in Houston, TX to keep a $100,000 lifestyle from Garland, TX?

About $103,100. Adjusting $100,000 by the BEA regional price levels of the two areas (97.2 in Garland, TX, 100.2 in Houston, TX) gives the salary with the same purchasing power. Taxes and personal spending habits are not included.

Is rent cheaper in Garland, TX or Houston, TX?

The median gross rent is $1,525 a month in Garland, TX and $1,313 in Houston, TX, a difference of $212 a month or $2,544 a year.

Where are household incomes higher, Garland, TX or Houston, TX?

The median household income is $74,717 in Garland, TX and $62,894 in Houston, TX. Rent takes 24.5% of the median income in Garland, TX and 25.1% in Houston, TX.

What salary do I need to afford the median rent in Houston, TX?

About $52,500 a year, the gross income that keeps the median rent of $1,313 a month at 30% of income. The same rule gives $61,000 in Garland, TX.

More comparisons with Garland, TX

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Definitions used on this page

Salary needed for the median rent
Twelve months of median gross rent divided by 0.30: the income that keeps the median rent at 30% of gross pay.
Price level
BEA regional price parity for the metro area where one is published, otherwise for the state. The national average is 100.
Same standard of living
A salary in Garland, TX converted into Houston, TX at the ratio of the two price levels. It adjusts for prices only, not for taxes or for what either city offers.
Buying power
One hundred divided by the price level: what a dollar buys locally relative to the national average.

Sources

Margins of error are published for every Census figure. Read the methodology before reading a small gap between two cities as a real difference.

Full detail for each city: Garland, TX · Houston, TX