Houston vs Pasadena
Houston, Texas versus Pasadena, Texas: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Houston and Pasadena score about the same overall (44 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Houston | Pasadena |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $60k | $65k |
| Cost of Living | $48k | $48k |
| Home Value | $235k | $172k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.60% | 1.59% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.20% | 8.20% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.93% | 6.93% |
| Unemployment | 6.6% | 8.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 54°F | 55°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 85°F | 85°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 54.5 in | 57.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 192 days | 192 days |
| Summer Humidity | 73°F | 73°F |
| Comfortable Days | 119 days | 130 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 65.3 | 83.3 |
| Air Quality | 44 AQI | 49 AQI |
| School Quality | 47.6 | 49.5 |
| Violent Crime | 3120/100k | 1752/100k |
| Property Crime | 4611/100k | 2810/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 2,296,253 | 150,620 |
| Median Age | 33.9 | 32.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.74 | 0.55 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | D+13 | D+13 |
| White (%) | 23.6% | 23.2% |
| Black (%) | 22.0% | 2.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 44.8% | 70.4% |
| Asian (%) | 6.8% | 1.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.7% | 2.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 26 min |
| Walkability | 13.9/20 | 7.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 13 mi | 10 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 87.3% | 90.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 2.04 | 8.83 |
| 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 Houston or Pasadena more affordable?
- Pasadena has the lower cost of living: its index is $48k, compared with Houston's $48k and Pasadena's $48k. Median rent is $1k in Houston versus $1k in Pasadena.
- Is Houston or Pasadena safer?
- Pasadena has the lower violent crime rate. Houston reports 3120/100k and Pasadena reports 1752/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Houston or Pasadena?
- The median home value is $235k in Houston and $172k in Pasadena, so homes are more affordable in Pasadena.