Price History
Median Home Price
Median Rent
Stored observations from 2016-07-31 to 2026-06-29. Source: Zillow ZHVI/ZORI. Missing rents are shown as gaps.
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Purchase
Monthly Cash Flow
* Based on metro-wide median values. 35% expenses include taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and property management. Individual counties and properties vary significantly.
Score Breakdown
Based on 6.38% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.
Based on -2.0% YoY price growth. Moderate growth (3-8%) scores highest.
Based on 0.0% population growth. Growing areas indicate economic stability.
Based on price relative to estimated local incomes.
Scores are calculated using real Zillow metro-level home value and rent data, Census population data, and economic indicators. The weighted average produces the overall investment score. This metro score represents area-wide averages; individual counties may vary significantly.
Investment Outlook
Strengths
- +Low unemployment (0.0%)
Challenges
- -Declining home values (-2.0% YoY)
- -Negative cash flow at typical financing (-$551/mo)
- -Negative leverage (cap rate 4.1% < mortgage rate 6.9%)
Counties in Houston, TX
Section 8 in Houston, TX: payment standards by ZIP, PHA waitlist status, and voucher counts are on VoucherMatch, the same HUD dataset with the tenant demand side attached.
Compare to Similar Metros
| Metro Area | Verdict | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cadillac, MI Cadillac, MI | 74 | $235,398 | Est. | Buy | View | ||
Hutchinson, KS Hutchinson, KS | 74 | $156,249 | $826 | 6.34% | Buy | View | |
Charleston, IL Charleston, IL | 74 | $150,699 | $787 | 6.26% | Buy | View | |
Atchison, KS Atchison, KS | 74 | $185,434 | Est. | Buy | View | ||
Cortland, NY Cortland, NY | 74 | $202,961 | $1,308 | 7.73% | Buy | View | |
Current Houston, TX | 54 | $308,306 | $1,639 | 6.38% | Hold |
Rent vs buy in this metro
The Bottom Line
The Houston, TX metro area scores 54/100, ranking #661 of 894 US metros (top 74%). The 6.38% rent-to-price ratio falls below the 1% monthly rent rule (12% annually). Check operating costs and financing before making an offer. Current metro-wide averages make traditional buy-and-hold investing challenging. Consider house hacking, value-add strategies, or drilling down to specific counties.