Fort Worth vs Houston
Fort Worth, Texas versus Houston, Texas: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Fort Worth and Houston score about the same overall (46 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Fort Worth | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $73k | $60k |
| Cost of Living | $53k | $48k |
| Home Value | $250k | $235k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.89% | 1.60% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.20% | 8.20% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.21% | 8.93% |
| Unemployment | 5.3% | 6.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 47°F | 54°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 86°F | 85°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 38.0 in | 54.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 278 days | 192 days |
| Summer Humidity | 68°F | 73°F |
| Comfortable Days | 96 days | 119 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 57.1 | 65.3 |
| Air Quality | 52 AQI | 44 AQI |
| School Quality | 54.4 | 47.6 |
| Violent Crime | 1414/100k | 3120/100k |
| Property Crime | 2754/100k | 4611/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 924,663 | 2,296,253 |
| Median Age | 33.2 | 33.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.66 | 0.74 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.97 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+13 |
| White (%) | 37.7% | 23.6% |
| Black (%) | 18.9% | 22.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 35.2% | 44.8% |
| Asian (%) | 4.8% | 6.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.4% | 2.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 13.4/20 | 13.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 18 mi | 13 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 90.8% | 87.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 4.03 | 2.04 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: 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 Fort Worth or Houston more affordable?
- Houston has the lower cost of living: its index is $48k, compared with Fort Worth's $53k and Houston's $48k. Median rent is $1k in Fort Worth versus $1k in Houston.
- Is Fort Worth or Houston safer?
- Fort Worth has the lower violent crime rate. Fort Worth reports 1414/100k and Houston reports 3120/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Fort Worth or Houston?
- The median home value is $250k in Fort Worth and $235k in Houston, so homes are more affordable in Houston.