Texas · Free comparisons

Find your Texas rent vs buy calculator

Choose a city, enter comparable homes, and test the cost of moving sooner or staying longer.

54 city comparisons start from 32 county datasets. Cities in the same county share reference values. These are regional housing indices, not city medians or a statewide average.

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54 city pages. Open a location, then replace the starting values with homes you would actually rent or buy.

Start with a city

Austin, TXHouston, TXDallas, TX

Published by RentalCalcs · Content and usability reviewed .

Data periods and program effective dates are shown separately. Report a correction.

City calculators, grouped by their county reference

Home values use Zillow ZHVI; monthly rents use Zillow ZORI. Each has its own observation date. Open a city to adjust price, rent, financing and your time horizon.

Jump to a county (32)

Cameron County

Home value · ZHVI
$209,484
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,463

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Collin County

Home value · ZHVI
$475,341
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,724

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Other places with a county portion (4)

The boundary sources below include a portion of each place here. Their calculators start with another county; replace those values with comparable properties for your address.

Comal County

Home value · ZHVI
$430,990
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,562

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Other places with a county portion (1)

The boundary sources below include a portion of each place here. Their calculators start with another county; replace those values with comparable properties for your address.

Dallas County

Home value · ZHVI
$306,649
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,639

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Other places with a county portion (1)

The boundary sources below include a portion of each place here. Their calculators start with another county; replace those values with comparable properties for your address.

Denton County

Home value · ZHVI
$435,555
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,707

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Other places with a county portion (5)

The boundary sources below include a portion of each place here. Their calculators start with another county; replace those values with comparable properties for your address.

El Paso County

Home value · ZHVI
$234,158
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,525

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Fort Bend County

Home value · ZHVI
$375,790
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,992

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Other places with a county portion (2)

The boundary sources below include a portion of each place here. Their calculators start with another county; replace those values with comparable properties for your address.

Harris County

Home value · ZHVI
$278,518
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,586

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Other places with a county portion (3)

The boundary sources below include a portion of each place here. Their calculators start with another county; replace those values with comparable properties for your address.

Jefferson County

Home value · ZHVI
$177,929
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,276

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Lubbock County

Home value · ZHVI
$215,726
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,341

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

McLennan County

Home value · ZHVI
$262,852
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,434

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Montgomery County

Home value · ZHVI
$342,784
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,757

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Other places with a county portion (1)

The boundary sources below include a portion of each place here. Their calculators start with another county; replace those values with comparable properties for your address.

Smith County

Home value · ZHVI
$271,237
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,378

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Tarrant County

Home value · ZHVI
$321,692
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,605

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Other places with a county portion (1)

The boundary sources below include a portion of each place here. Their calculators start with another county; replace those values with comparable properties for your address.

Tom Green County

Home value · ZHVI
$230,038
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,305

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Travis County

Home value · ZHVI
$466,106
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,618

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Other places with a county portion (3)

The boundary sources below include a portion of each place here. Their calculators start with another county; replace those values with comparable properties for your address.

Webb County

Home value · ZHVI
$218,941
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,191

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Williamson County

Home value · ZHVI
$396,843
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,648

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Other places with a county portion (2)

The boundary sources below include a portion of each place here. Their calculators start with another county; replace those values with comparable properties for your address.

Turn a regional reference into your decision

  1. 1. Compare similar homes. Match bedrooms, property type, condition and location. The home-value and rent indices cover different housing stocks; their ratio alone cannot tell you which option is better.
  2. 2. Check the property's costs. Replace the illustrative tax rate, insurance and HOA assumptions. Use the Texas local appraisal and tax office directory to request an estimate after purchase.

    Request an annual estimate for your ownership from the local appraisal district and tax offices. Include the school district, city, county and any special districts, such as a MUD. The seller's exemptions and capped appraisal may not apply to you.

    Texas homestead exemptions depend on eligibility and the taxing unit. The homestead appraisal limitation is not a cap on your total tax bill. This calculator does not determine exemptions or apply appraisal caps.

    Enter your estimated annual total ÷ purchase price × 100 as the tax rate. For example, $9,000 a year on a $400,000 purchase is 2.25%, or $750 a month. Later years use the model's illustrative tax-growth assumption.

  3. 3. Test more than one exit date. Each city calculator compares the monthly budget, cash at closing and wealth after selling costs. Try a shorter stay and less favorable growth assumptions before opening the full calculator.

Coverage and sources

These 32 counties are the starting references for the listed cities; this is not complete coverage of Texas. City pages include the source series, county FIPS, observation month, retrieval date and download links. Read Zillow's index definitions. Download dates do not make the underlying observations newer.

County references were checked against the U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Texas place-by-county table. Check your actual address before using a county source.

Places spanning counties (29)

These references follow the dated boundary source above. The Woodlands uses township coverage in Montgomery and Harris counties. Confirm the county for your property; each comparison shows its starting reference and alternate paths.

There is no statewide buy-or-rent verdict here. Results depend on the properties and assumptions you enter. The comparisons are free; the full calculator also offers an optional paid report.