Texas · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Houston County, TX

Prices around Houston County, TX run 2.9% below the U.S. average (BEA, Texas). The typical household there earns $56,531 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $978 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $39,120 a year.

Houston County, TX at a glance

Median household income

$56,531$4,711 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$978HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)97.1-2.9% · BEA, Texas
Electricity15.9¢per kWh · EIA Residential TX
Population22,051Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Houston County, TX?

HUD’s fair market rent for each size, against what a typical household here earns. Change the income to see yours.

Affordable (< 30% of income)
HUD Fair Market Rent$978Monthly market rent
Share of gross income20.8%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$39,120To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$1,413At 30% of $56,531
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Houston County, TX? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Houston County, TX, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Houston County, TX, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$740$8,880$29,60015.7%
1-Bedroom Apartment$745$8,940$29,80015.8%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$978$11,736$39,12020.8%
3-Bedroom Home$1,204$14,448$48,16025.6%
4-Bedroom Home$1,295$15,540$51,80027.5%

Rent in Houston County, TX, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Houston County, TX

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $56,531 a year ($4,711 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$2,355/moRent ($978 2-BR), utilities (~$143/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$1,413/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$942/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $56,531 leaves after Texas taxes

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Texas tax on the local median income. Change the salary to see yours.

$56,531
$20,000$115,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$56,531
Net 84%
Fed 8%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$47,603After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,967Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,831Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,604 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,325 / yr

Living in Houston County, TX: common questions

What is the median household income in Houston County, TX?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Houston County, TX is $56,531 per year (approximately $4,711 per month).

What is the average rent in Houston County, TX?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $740 for a studio, $745 for one bedroom, $978 for two, $1,204 for three and $1,295 for four, utilities included.

It is not an average of listings. HUD sets it at the rent 40% of recent movers paid or less for a standard unit, so a new lease on a nicer place will usually cost more.

Is Houston County, TX expensive to live in?

Prices there run 2.9% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for Texas is 97.1, where the U.S. is 100. Rent moves the number most: housing is where places differ, while goods cost about the same everywhere.

How much do you need to earn to comfortably afford rent in Houston County, TX?

To keep a $978 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $39,120 a year, or $3,260 a month. That is 69% of what the typical household in Houston County, TX earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Houston County, TX?

On the local median income of $56,531 ($4,711 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $2,355 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $1,413 for everything else and $942 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $978 takes 42% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Houston County, TX?

Homes in Texas paid 15.9¢ per kWh on average (EIA). At 900 kWh a month, a typical use, that is about $143. Your bill depends mostly on heating and cooling.