How much rent can you afford in Houston, TX?
Run your salary against Houston's current rent, or find the income you'd need for a target rent. Powered by live RentDataNow medians.
The 30% rent rule, in Houston
At a median rent of $1,567/mo, Houston is affordable when measured against Houston median household income of $64,813/yr. Rent would consume roughly 29% of pre-tax income, and a salary of about $62,680 keeps rent at the recommended 30% threshold.
How Houston compares nearby
Median rent for the closest cities with data.
Frequently asked
How much rent can I afford in Houston?
On a $64,813 salary (the Houston median household income), the recommended ceiling is 30% of pre-tax income, or about $1,620/mo. Houston's median rent is $1,567/mo. Use the calculator on this page to run your own salary.
What salary do I need to live in Houston?
To keep Houston's $1,567/mo median rent under 30% of income, you'd need about $62,680/yr. Lower your target share (e.g. 25%) to need more, or raise it (e.g. 40%) to need less.
Is Houston affordable on the median Texas income?
Houston is affordable on a $64,813 income. Rent would take 29% of pre-tax pay, inside the recommended 30% threshold.
What's the 30% rent rule?
The 30% rule is a long-standing budgeting guideline that keeps rent at or below 30% of gross (pre-tax) income. It leaves enough room for utilities, transit, savings, and debt service. In high-cost markets, many renters exceed 30%, and the Census Bureau classifies households paying more than 30% of income on rent as "cost-burdened".