Population

Houston

2,300,419

San Diego

1,385,061

Median Income

Houston

$62,894

San Diego

$104,321

Home Value

Houston

$253,400

San Diego

$848,500

Rent

Houston

$1,313

San Diego

$2,223

Crime Rate

Houston

11.48

San Diego

4.12

Cost of Living

Houston

116.4

San Diego

197.7

Avg Temp

Houston

70°F

San Diego

62°F

Unemployment

Houston

6.7%

San Diego

5.9%

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How Similar Are Houston & San Diego?

San Diego is Houston's #20 most similar city

0/10

0 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Houston

2,300,419

vs

San Diego

1,385,061

Different · 40% difference

Houston has a 40% larger population than San Diego.

Violent Crime

Houston

11.48

vs

San Diego

4.12

Different · 64% difference
🚨

Houston's violent crime is significantly higher than San Diego's — 64% difference.

Property Crime

🔒

Houston

42.93

vs

San Diego

16.70

Different · 61% difference

Houston's property crime is significantly higher than San Diego's — 61% difference.

Political Leaning

Houston

46.4%

vs

San Diego

40.2%

Different · 14% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic, but Houston has a stronger Democratic lean (14% difference).

Unemployment

💼

Houston

6.7%

vs

San Diego

5.9%

Different · 12% difference

Houston has a 12% higher unemployment than San Diego.

Median Income

Houston

$62,894

vs

San Diego

$104,321

Different · 40% difference
💰

San Diego has a 40% higher median income than Houston.

Home Values

🏠

Houston

$253,400

vs

San Diego

$848,500

Different · 70% difference

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

Education

Houston

23.9%

vs

San Diego

35.2%

Different · 32% difference
🎓

San Diego has a 32% higher education than Houston.

Demographics

🌍

Houston

35.5%

vs

San Diego

50.4%

Different · 30% difference

San Diego has a 30% higher demographics than Houston.

Cost of Living

Houston

116.4

vs

San Diego

197.7

Different · 41% difference
💵

San Diego has a 41% higher cost of living than Houston.

Houston and San Diego differ significantly across all measured metrics.

At a Glance

0

Houston

vsof 8

0

San Diego

San Diego leads in 6 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Houston leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Houston scores 145.9 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 310.2 in San Diego. Houston has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,573 vs $3,001 in San Diego (48% lower). Houston has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,323 vs $2,459 in San Diego (46% lower).

Overall Cost Index

Houston116.4
San Diego197.7

Housing Index

Houston145.9
San Diego310.2

Food Index

Houston98.1
San Diego129.7

Transportation Index

Houston103.6
San Diego116.0

Healthcare Index

Houston98.5
San Diego123.8

Utilities Index

Houston108.0
San Diego159.9

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Houston$51,208
San Diego$86,998

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Houston$121,037
San Diego$205,632

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Houston$1,323
San Diego$2,459

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Houston$1,573
San Diego$3,001

Housing Market — San Diego leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

San Diego has a median home value of $848,500 vs $253,400 in Houston (70% higher). San Diego has a vacancy rate of 6.7% compared to 10.4% in Houston. Houston has a median rent of $1,313 vs $2,223 in San Diego (41% lower).

Median Home Value

Houston$253,400
San Diego$848,500

Median Rent

Houston$1,313
San Diego$2,223

Median Property Tax

Houston$4,003
San Diego$5,658

Owner-Occupied

Houston42.0%
San Diego47.6%

Vacancy Rate

Houston10.4%
San Diego6.7%

Single-Family Homes

Houston47.9%
San Diego53.3%

Jobs & Economy — San Diego leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

San Diego has a poverty rate of 11.1% compared to 19.7% in Houston. Houston: 1,219,957 vs San Diego: 788,942 for labor force. San Diego has a median household income of $104,321 vs $62,894 in Houston (40% higher).

Median Household Income

Houston$62,894
San Diego$104,321

Per Capita Income

Houston$41,142
San Diego$54,678

Poverty Rate

Houston19.7%
San Diego11.1%

Unemployment Rate

Houston6.7%
San Diego5.9%

Labor Force

Houston1,219,957
San Diego788,942

Mean Commute

Houston24 min
San Diego19 min

Work from Home

Houston11.7%
San Diego19.2%

Private Sector

Houston98.8%
San Diego92.3%

Government Sector

Houston46.6%
San Diego42.5%

Crime & Safety — San Diego leads

Source: FBI UCR

San Diego has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.03 compared to 0.14 in Houston. San Diego has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.77 compared to 2.74 in Houston. San Diego has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 1.87 compared to 6.45 in Houston.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Houston11.48
San Diego4.12

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Houston42.93
San Diego16.70

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Houston0.14
San Diego0.03

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Houston2.74
San Diego0.77

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Houston7.87
San Diego3.11

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Houston6.45
San Diego1.87

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Houston29.46
San Diego10.87

Violent Crime Clearance

Houston31.9%
San Diego47.2%

Property Crime Clearance

Houston4.8%
San Diego6.5%

Weather & Climate — Houston leads

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

San Diego: 12.3" vs Houston: 50.4" for annual rainfall. San Diego gets 128 more sunny days per year than Houston. Houston averages 78°F, about 9°F warmer than San Diego.

Avg Annual Temperature

Houston70°F
San Diego62°F

Avg Annual High

Houston78°F
San Diego69°F

Avg Annual Low

Houston62°F
San Diego56°F

Sunny Days per Year

Houston182
San Diego310

Annual Rainfall

Houston50.4"
San Diego12.3"

Annual Snowfall

HoustonN/A
San DiegoN/A

Avg Humidity

Houston74.8%
San Diego75.9%

Schools & Education — San Diego leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

San Diego has a bachelor's degree or higher of 35.2% compared to 23.9% in Houston. San Diego has a high school diploma or higher of 45.8% compared to 38.3% in Houston.

Public Schools

Houston0
San Diego0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

HoustonN/A
San DiegoN/A

Colleges & Universities

Houston0
San Diego0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Houston23.9%
San Diego35.2%

High School Diploma or Higher

Houston38.3%
San Diego45.8%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Houston has a population of 2,300,419, about 1.7x the size of San Diego (1,385,061). Houston skews younger with a median age of 34.3 vs 36.0.

Population

Houston2,300,419
San Diego1,385,061

Median Age

Houston34
San Diego36

Avg Household Size

Houston2.5
San Diego2.6

Married Population

Houston34.8%
San Diego39.1%

Foreign Born

Houston28.8%
San Diego24.8%

White

Houston35.5%
San Diego50.4%

Black

Houston22.9%
San Diego5.7%

Hispanic

Houston44.1%
San Diego29.6%

Asian

Houston6.9%
San Diego17.6%

Houston

San Diego

Healthcare — San Diego leads

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

San Diego: 4.0 vs Houston: 3.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5). San Diego: 5 vs Houston: 4 for with emergency services.

Nearby Hospitals

Houston5
San Diego5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Houston3.0
San Diego4.0

With Emergency Services

Houston4
San Diego5

Transportation & Commute — San Diego leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

San Diego has a bicycle of 0.7% compared to 0.4% in Houston. San Diego has a work from home of 19.2% compared to 11.7% in Houston. San Diego: 19 min vs Houston: 24 min for mean commute time.

Mean Commute Time

Houston24 min
San Diego19 min

Drive Alone

Houston69.7%
San Diego64.2%

Public Transit

Houston3.3%
San Diego3.0%

Bicycle

Houston0.4%
San Diego0.7%

Work from Home

Houston11.7%
San Diego19.2%

Airports

Houston0
San Diego0

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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