El Paso, TX vs Houston, TX
Simple answer
You'd likely save $351 a month in El Paso.
This is the HUD 2-bedroom fair-market rent for October 2026 through September 2027. It is not your lease.
The largest cost gap in this pair is housing prices. The BEA housing price parity differs by 33.3 points (El Paso 71.2, Houston 104.5).
Texas has no tax on wages. Texas has no tax on wages. Combined sales tax differs by 0.0 percentage points, higher in Texas. The effective property tax gap is 0.00 percentage points, higher in Texas.
Both metros are in Texas, so benefit eligibility in this tool does not change with the move. Rent and price levels still differ.
A $75,000 salary in El Paso lines up with about $82,271 in Houston on the 2024 all-items price parity. Census median gross rent and the commute figures are 2024. Fair Market Rents are fiscal year 2027.
El Paso
El Paso, TX
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
- $1,146
- HUD area
- El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
- Census median gross rent
- $1,081
- All-items price parity
- 89.9
- Goods price parity
- 93.8
- Utilities price parity
- 82.6
- Mean commute
- 24.3 min
- Median household income
- $59,834
Houston
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
- $1,497
- HUD area
- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
- Census median gross rent
- $1,469
- All-items price parity
- 98.6
- Goods price parity
- 100.6
- Utilities price parity
- 95.3
- Mean commute
- 31.1 min
- Median household income
- $81,417
Equivalent salary
The first number keeps the same place in the national price level. The second also runs 2026 federal income tax, employee Social Security and Medicare, and a simplified state income tax. Groceries use the BEA goods price parity, not a grocery receipt.
$82,271
Salary in Houston that matches the 2024 all-items regional price parity.
$83,488
Gross salary in Houston whose after-tax pay buys the same basket, using price parities.
$97,971
Scales the salary by the ratio of HUD 2-bedroom Fair Market Rents. Rent is not the whole budget.
Taxes on the two sides of the move
| Tax | Texas | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax on wages | No wage tax | No wage tax |
| Combined sales tax, Jan 1, 2026 | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Effective property tax, ACS 2024 median / median | 1.31% | 1.31% |
On a $400,000 home, the state median effective rate implies about $5,246 a year in Texas and $5,246 in Texas. That illustration is not a local bill. Childcare prices are not in the verified dataset for these metros.
Benefits if you land in Texas
El Paso and Houston are in Texas. The benefit rules in this tool are statewide, so the statuses match. Rent and prices still differ.
| Program | El Paso | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| SNAP | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Medicaid and CHIP | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| WIC | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| School meals | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| LIHEAP | Maybe | Maybe |
| Earned Income Tax Credit | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Child Tax Credit | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Marketplace premium tax credits | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Lifeline phone and internet | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| SSI | Unlikely | Unlikely |
Related comparisons
From El Paso
The eight largest 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent gaps from El Paso.
- El Paso and San Francisco · rent gap $2,551
- El Paso and San Jose · rent gap $2,126
- El Paso and Boston · rent gap $1,862
- El Paso and New York · rent gap $1,825
- El Paso and Los Angeles · rent gap $1,818
- El Paso and San Diego · rent gap $1,677
- El Paso and Miami · rent gap $1,418
- El Paso and Seattle · rent gap $1,403
Nearby metros
How the salary and tax math works · The reverse city order redirects to this address.