Dallas County vs Harris County
Dallas County, Texas versus Harris County, Texas: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Dallas County and Harris County score about the same overall (41 vs 39 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Dallas County | Harris County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $71k | $71k |
| Cost of Living | $54k | $48k |
| Home Value | $252k | $235k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.73% | 1.77% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.20% | 8.20% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.87% | 8.59% |
| Unemployment | 4.9% | 6.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 47°F | 54°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 86°F | 85°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.4 in | 54.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 214 days | 192 days |
| Summer Humidity | 68°F | 73°F |
| Comfortable Days | 95 days | 122 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 99.7 | 99.9 |
| Air Quality | 55 AQI | 64 AQI |
| School Quality | 50.5 | 47.3 |
| Violent Crime | 1722/100k | 2387/100k |
| Property Crime | 3075/100k | 3602/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 2,604,053 | 4,726,177 |
| Median Age | 33.8 | 34.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.70 | 0.71 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | D+32 | D+13 |
| White (%) | 27.4% | 27.6% |
| Black (%) | 22.2% | 18.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 41.0% | 43.9% |
| Asian (%) | 6.6% | 7.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 29 min |
| Walkability | 11.6/20 | 10.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 7 mi | 12 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 88.2% | 89.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 3.46 | 1.29 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Dallas County or Harris County more affordable?
- Harris County has the lower cost of living: its index is $48k, compared with Dallas County's $54k and Harris County's $48k. Median rent is $1k in Dallas County versus $1k in Harris County.
- Is Dallas County or Harris County safer?
- Dallas County has the lower violent crime rate. Dallas County reports 1722/100k and Harris County reports 2387/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Dallas County or Harris County?
- The median home value is $252k in Dallas County and $235k in Harris County, so homes are more affordable in Harris County.