Population

Houston

2,300,419

Phoenix

1,624,832

Median Income

Houston

$62,894

Phoenix

$77,041

Home Value

Houston

$253,400

Phoenix

$381,900

Rent

Houston

$1,313

Phoenix

$1,458

Crime Rate

Houston

11.48

Phoenix

8.00

Cost of Living

Houston

116.4

Phoenix

129.8

Avg Temp

Houston

70°F

Phoenix

74°F

Unemployment

Houston

6.7%

Phoenix

5.1%

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How Similar Are Houston & Phoenix?

Phoenix is Houston's #16 most similar city

1/10

1 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Houston

2,300,419

vs

Phoenix

1,624,832

Different · 29% difference

Houston has a 29% larger population than Phoenix.

Violent Crime

Houston

11.48

vs

Phoenix

8.00

Different · 30% difference
🚨

Houston has a 30% higher violent crime than Phoenix.

Property Crime

🔒

Houston

42.93

vs

Phoenix

23.25

Different · 46% difference

Houston has a 46% higher property crime than Phoenix.

Political Leaning

Houston

46.4%

vs

Phoenix

51.2%

Match · 9% difference
🗳️

Houston leans Democratic while Phoenix leans Republican.

Unemployment

💼

Houston

6.7%

vs

Phoenix

5.1%

Different · 24% difference

Houston has a 24% higher unemployment than Phoenix.

Median Income

Houston

$62,894

vs

Phoenix

$77,041

Different · 18% difference
💰

Phoenix has a 18% higher median income than Houston.

Home Values

🏠

Houston

$253,400

vs

Phoenix

$381,900

Different · 34% difference

Phoenix has a 34% higher home values than Houston.

Education

Houston

23.9%

vs

Phoenix

21.3%

Different · 11% difference
🎓

Houston has a 11% higher education than Phoenix.

Demographics

🌍

Houston

35.5%

vs

Phoenix

53.7%

Different · 34% difference

Phoenix has a 34% higher demographics than Houston.

Cost of Living

Houston

116.4

vs

Phoenix

129.8

Different · 10% difference
💵

Phoenix has a 10% higher cost of living than Houston.

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

At a Glance

0

Houston

vsof 8

0

Phoenix

Phoenix leads in 5 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Houston leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Houston has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,323 vs $1,583 in Phoenix (16% lower). Houston has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,573 vs $1,839 in Phoenix (14% lower). Houston scores 145.9 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 164.5 in Phoenix.

Overall Cost Index

Houston116.4
Phoenix129.8

Housing Index

Houston145.9
Phoenix164.5

Food Index

Houston98.1
Phoenix108.9

Transportation Index

Houston103.6
Phoenix104.7

Healthcare Index

Houston98.5
Phoenix107.1

Utilities Index

Houston108.0
Phoenix118.2

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Houston$51,208
Phoenix$57,113

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Houston$121,037
Phoenix$134,995

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Houston$1,323
Phoenix$1,583

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Houston$1,573
Phoenix$1,839

Housing Market — Phoenix leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Phoenix has a median property tax of $1,825 vs $4,003 in Houston (119% lower). Phoenix has a vacancy rate of 6.5% compared to 10.4% in Houston. Phoenix has a median home value of $381,900 vs $253,400 in Houston (34% higher).

Median Home Value

Houston$253,400
Phoenix$381,900

Median Rent

Houston$1,313
Phoenix$1,458

Median Property Tax

Houston$4,003
Phoenix$1,825

Owner-Occupied

Houston42.0%
Phoenix57.1%

Vacancy Rate

Houston10.4%
Phoenix6.5%

Single-Family Homes

Houston47.9%
Phoenix64.6%

Jobs & Economy — Phoenix leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Houston: 1,219,957 vs Phoenix: 870,196 for labor force. Phoenix has a poverty rate of 14.3% compared to 19.7% in Houston. Phoenix has a work from home of 16.9% compared to 11.7% in Houston.

Median Household Income

Houston$62,894
Phoenix$77,041

Per Capita Income

Houston$41,142
Phoenix$40,309

Poverty Rate

Houston19.7%
Phoenix14.3%

Unemployment Rate

Houston6.7%
Phoenix5.1%

Labor Force

Houston1,219,957
Phoenix870,196

Mean Commute

Houston24 min
Phoenix21 min

Work from Home

Houston11.7%
Phoenix16.9%

Private Sector

Houston98.8%
Phoenix97.3%

Government Sector

Houston46.6%
Phoenix46.0%

Crime & Safety — Phoenix leads

Source: FBI UCR

Phoenix has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 3.17 compared to 6.45 in Houston. Phoenix has a larceny rate (per 1k) of 15.82 compared to 29.46 in Houston. Phoenix has a property crime rate (per 1k) of 23.25 compared to 42.93 in Houston.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Houston11.48
Phoenix8.00

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Houston42.93
Phoenix23.25

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Houston0.14
Phoenix0.08

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Houston2.74
Phoenix1.82

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Houston7.87
Phoenix5.45

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Houston6.45
Phoenix3.17

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Houston29.46
Phoenix15.82

Violent Crime Clearance

Houston31.9%
Phoenix29.5%

Property Crime Clearance

Houston4.8%
Phoenix13.6%

Weather & Climate — Phoenix leads

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Phoenix: 9.8" vs Houston: 50.4" for annual rainfall. Phoenix has a avg humidity of 35.0% compared to 74.8% in Houston. Phoenix gets 131 more sunny days per year than Houston.

Avg Annual Temperature

Houston70°F
Phoenix74°F

Avg Annual High

Houston78°F
Phoenix86°F

Avg Annual Low

Houston62°F
Phoenix60°F

Sunny Days per Year

Houston182
Phoenix313

Annual Rainfall

Houston50.4"
Phoenix9.8"

Annual Snowfall

HoustonN/A
PhoenixN/A

Avg Humidity

Houston74.8%
Phoenix35.0%

Schools & Education — Houston leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Houston has a bachelor's degree or higher of 23.9% compared to 21.3% in Phoenix. Houston has a high school diploma or higher of 38.3% compared to 36.6% in Phoenix.

Public Schools

Houston0
Phoenix0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

HoustonN/A
PhoenixN/A

Colleges & Universities

Houston0
Phoenix0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Houston23.9%
Phoenix21.3%

High School Diploma or Higher

Houston38.3%
Phoenix36.6%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Houston has a population of 2,300,419, about 1.4x the size of Phoenix (1,624,832).

Population

Houston2,300,419
Phoenix1,624,832

Median Age

Houston34
Phoenix35

Avg Household Size

Houston2.5
Phoenix2.7

Married Population

Houston34.8%
Phoenix35.2%

Foreign Born

Houston28.8%
Phoenix19.0%

White

Houston35.5%
Phoenix53.7%

Black

Houston22.9%
Phoenix7.8%

Hispanic

Houston44.1%
Phoenix41.8%

Asian

Houston6.9%
Phoenix3.9%

Houston

Phoenix

Healthcare — Houston leads

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Houston: 4 vs Phoenix: 2 for with emergency services.

Nearby Hospitals

Houston5
Phoenix5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Houston3.0
Phoenix3.0

With Emergency Services

Houston4
Phoenix2

Transportation & Commute — Phoenix leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Houston has a public transit of 3.3% compared to 2.0% in Phoenix. Phoenix has a work from home of 16.9% compared to 11.7% in Houston. Phoenix: 21 min vs Houston: 24 min for mean commute time.

Mean Commute Time

Houston24 min
Phoenix21 min

Drive Alone

Houston69.7%
Phoenix66.1%

Public Transit

Houston3.3%
Phoenix2.0%

Bicycle

Houston0.4%
Phoenix0.4%

Work from Home

Houston11.7%
Phoenix16.9%

Airports

Houston0
Phoenix0

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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