Houston vs The Woodlands
Houston, Texas versus The Woodlands, 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 The Woodlands score about the same overall (44 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Houston | The Woodlands |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $60k | $142k |
| Cost of Living | $48k | $53k |
| Home Value | $235k | $456k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.60% | 1.78% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.20% | 8.20% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.93% | 8.41% |
| Unemployment | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 54°F | 53°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 85°F | 84°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 54.5 in | 54.4 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 | 102 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 65.3 | 70.6 |
| Air Quality | 44 AQI | 49 AQI |
| School Quality | 47.6 | 45.4 |
| Violent Crime | 3120/100k | 972/100k |
| Property Crime | 4611/100k | 1269/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 2,296,253 | 118,402 |
| Median Age | 33.9 | 40.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.74 | 0.42 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | D+13 | R+44 |
| White (%) | 23.6% | 66.5% |
| Black (%) | 22.0% | 2.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 44.8% | 19.0% |
| Asian (%) | 6.8% | 7.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.7% | 4.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 28 min |
| Walkability | 13.9/20 | 7.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 13 mi | 16 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 87.3% | 96.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 2.04 | 29.64 |
| 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 The Woodlands more affordable?
- Houston has the lower cost of living: its index is $48k, compared with Houston's $48k and The Woodlands's $53k. Median rent is $1k in Houston versus $2k in The Woodlands.
- Is Houston or The Woodlands safer?
- The Woodlands has the lower violent crime rate. Houston reports 3120/100k and The Woodlands reports 972/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Houston or The Woodlands?
- The median home value is $235k in Houston and $456k in The Woodlands, so homes are more affordable in Houston.