Population

Houston

2,300,419

Detroit

636,644

Median Income

Houston

$62,894

Detroit

$39,575

Home Value

Houston

$253,400

Detroit

$76,800

Rent

Houston

$1,313

Detroit

$1,034

Crime Rate

Houston

11.48

Detroit

17.82

Cost of Living

Houston

116.4

Detroit

76.9

Avg Temp

Houston

70°F

Detroit

50°F

Unemployment

Houston

6.7%

Detroit

14.2%

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How Similar Are Houston & Detroit?

Detroit is Houston's #22 most similar city

1/10

1 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Houston

2,300,419

vs

Detroit

636,644

Different · 72% difference

Houston (2,300,419) is about 3.6x larger than Detroit (636,644).

Violent Crime

Houston

11.48

vs

Detroit

17.82

Different · 36% difference
🚨

Detroit has a 36% higher violent crime than Houston.

Property Crime

🔒

Houston

42.93

vs

Detroit

43.05

Match · 0% difference

Both cities have similar property crime — just a 0% difference.

Political Leaning

Houston

46.4%

vs

Detroit

33.7%

Different · 27% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic, but Houston has a stronger Democratic lean (27% difference).

Unemployment

💼

Houston

6.7%

vs

Detroit

14.2%

Different · 53% difference

Detroit's unemployment is significantly higher than Houston's — 53% difference.

Median Income

Houston

$62,894

vs

Detroit

$39,575

Different · 37% difference
💰

Houston has a 37% higher median income than Detroit.

Home Values

🏠

Houston

$253,400

vs

Detroit

$76,800

Different · 70% difference

Houston's home values is significantly higher than Detroit's — 70% difference.

Education

Houston

23.9%

vs

Detroit

11.6%

Different · 52% difference
🎓

Houston's education is significantly higher than Detroit's — 52% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Houston

35.5%

vs

Detroit

11.7%

Different · 67% difference

Houston's demographics is significantly higher than Detroit's — 67% difference.

Cost of Living

Houston

116.4

vs

Detroit

76.9

Different · 34% difference
💵

Houston has a 34% higher cost of living than Detroit.

1 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Houston and Detroit differ in most key areas.

At a Glance

0

Houston

vsof 8

0

Detroit

Houston leads in 4 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Detroit leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Detroit scores 85.1 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 145.9 in Houston. Detroit scores 60.5 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 103.6 in Houston. Detroit scores 76.9 on the overall cost index (100 = national avg) vs 116.4 in Houston.

Overall Cost Index

Houston116.4
Detroit76.9

Housing Index

Houston145.9
Detroit85.1

Food Index

Houston98.1
Detroit80.2

Transportation Index

Houston103.6
Detroit60.5

Healthcare Index

Houston98.5
Detroit84.2

Utilities Index

Houston108.0
Detroit85.2

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Houston$51,208
Detroit$33,837

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Houston$121,037
Detroit$79,980

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Houston$1,323
Detroit$1,122

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Houston$1,573
Detroit$1,411

Housing Market — Detroit leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Houston has a median home value of $253,400 vs $76,800 in Detroit (230% higher). Detroit has a median property tax of $1,382 vs $4,003 in Houston (190% lower). Houston has a vacancy rate of 10.4% compared to 22.3% in Detroit.

Median Home Value

Houston$253,400
Detroit$76,800

Median Rent

Houston$1,313
Detroit$1,034

Median Property Tax

Houston$4,003
Detroit$1,382

Owner-Occupied

Houston42.0%
Detroit49.7%

Vacancy Rate

Houston10.4%
Detroit22.3%

Single-Family Homes

Houston47.9%
Detroit71.9%

Jobs & Economy — Houston leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Houston: 1,219,957 vs Detroit: 269,860 for labor force. Houston has a per capita income of $41,142 vs $24,029 in Detroit (71% higher). Houston has a median household income of $62,894 vs $39,575 in Detroit (59% higher).

Median Household Income

Houston$62,894
Detroit$39,575

Per Capita Income

Houston$41,142
Detroit$24,029

Poverty Rate

Houston19.7%
Detroit31.5%

Unemployment Rate

Houston6.7%
Detroit14.2%

Labor Force

Houston1,219,957
Detroit269,860

Mean Commute

Houston24 min
DetroitN/A

Work from Home

Houston11.7%
Detroit10.1%

Private Sector

Houston98.8%
Detroit84.0%

Government Sector

Houston46.6%
Detroit40.3%

Crime & Safety

Source: FBI UCR

Houston has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.14 compared to 0.31 in Detroit. Detroit has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 1.84 compared to 2.74 in Houston. Houston has a assault rate (per 1k) of 7.87 compared to 14.74 in Detroit.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Houston11.48
Detroit17.82

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Houston42.93
Detroit43.05

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Houston0.14
Detroit0.31

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Houston2.74
Detroit1.84

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Houston7.87
Detroit14.74

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Houston6.45
Detroit7.03

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Houston29.46
Detroit23.44

Violent Crime Clearance

Houston31.9%
Detroit42.3%

Property Crime Clearance

Houston4.8%
Detroit5.8%

Weather & Climate — Houston leads

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Detroit: 31.2" vs Houston: 50.4" for annual rainfall. Houston averages 62°F, about 19°F warmer than Detroit. Houston averages 70°F, about 20°F warmer than Detroit.

Avg Annual Temperature

Houston70°F
Detroit50°F

Avg Annual High

Houston78°F
Detroit57°F

Avg Annual Low

Houston62°F
Detroit43°F

Sunny Days per Year

Houston182
Detroit182

Annual Rainfall

Houston50.4"
Detroit31.2"

Annual Snowfall

HoustonN/A
Detroit11.0"

Avg Humidity

Houston74.8%
Detroit71.5%

Schools & Education — Houston leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Houston has a bachelor's degree or higher of 23.9% compared to 11.6% in Detroit. Houston has a high school diploma or higher of 38.3% compared to 33.4% in Detroit.

Public Schools

Houston0
Detroit0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

HoustonN/A
DetroitN/A

Colleges & Universities

Houston0
Detroit0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Houston23.9%
Detroit11.6%

High School Diploma or Higher

Houston38.3%
Detroit33.4%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Houston has a population of 2,300,419, about 3.6x the size of Detroit (636,644).

Population

Houston2,300,419
Detroit636,644

Median Age

Houston34
Detroit35

Avg Household Size

Houston2.5
Detroit2.5

Married Population

Houston34.8%
Detroit19.6%

Foreign Born

Houston28.8%
Detroit6.0%

White

Houston35.5%
Detroit11.7%

Black

Houston22.9%
Detroit76.8%

Hispanic

Houston44.1%
Detroit8.0%

Asian

Houston6.9%
Detroit1.6%

Houston

Detroit

Healthcare — Houston leads

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Houston: 3.0 vs Detroit: 2.5 for avg cms rating (out of 5).

Nearby Hospitals

Houston5
Detroit5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Houston3.0
Detroit2.5

With Emergency Services

Houston4
Detroit4

Transportation & Commute

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Detroit has a public transit of 6.0% compared to 3.3% in Houston. Houston has a work from home of 11.7% compared to 10.1% in Detroit. Detroit has a bicycle of 0.5% compared to 0.4% in Houston.

Mean Commute Time

Houston24 min
DetroitN/A

Drive Alone

Houston69.7%
Detroit66.3%

Public Transit

Houston3.3%
Detroit6.0%

Bicycle

Houston0.4%
Detroit0.5%

Work from Home

Houston11.7%
Detroit10.1%

Airports

Houston0
Detroit0

Cities Similar to Houston, TX

Compare Houston against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

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