* Riverside, California is among the 20 most populous metros, but did not submit COLI data.  
Source: Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), Cost of Living Index, 2023 Annual Average

At 18.8 percent below the national average, Houston’s housing costs are the second most affordable among the most populous U.S. metros, according to the C2ER Cost of Living Index Q3 2024. Furthermore, housing costs in Houston are 52.2 percent below the average of the most populous U.S. metros. Lower housing costs are one of the reasons Houston’s overall living costs are 23.4 percent below the large-metro average. (This housing index is based 69.5 percent on homeownership and 30.5 percent on rental occupancy).

Excluding the two most expensive housing markets—New York and San Francisco—which tend to skew the average, Houston’s housing costs are still 57.1 percent below the major metro average.

Prepared by Greater Houston Partnership Research

Leta Wauson
Research Director
lwauson@houston.org