TEXAS · 25TH OF 51

Cost of living in Texas

Prices, pay, taxes, homes and family budgets, county by county, from the same official data the site's calculators use.

The short answer: Prices in Texas run 2.9% below the national average, 25th most expensive of the 50 states and DC. Rents run 3.5% below the national average. The median worker earns $48,620 a year. A typical home in the median Texas county is worth $213,390.
Prices

How far a dollar goes in Texas.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis measures price levels in every state against a national average of 100. Texas scores 97.1 overall, so a $75,000 salary at average US prices buys what $72,793 buys here. Compare any salary with another state.

Price levelTexas (US = 100)Rank, most expensive first
Everything97.125th of 51
Rents96.520th of 51
Goods98.1—
Other services97.1—

Home electricity averaged 14.94 cents a kilowatt-hour in 2024, against 17.06 across all states. A gallon of regular gas cost $3.61 at the end of August 2026, against $4.12.

Pay and taxes

What people earn, and what they keep.

Across all 14,071,160 jobs the Bureau of Labor Statistics counts in Texas, the median pay is $48,620 a year, or $23.38 an hour; that ranks 31st of the 50 states and DC. One worker in ten earns less than $27,250 and one in ten more than $125,220.

Texas has no state income tax on wages. More on taxes in Texas. A single filer on the median $48,620, with no retirement or health deductions, takes home about $41,246 a year, or $1,586 every two weeks, after $3,654 of federal income tax, $3,719 of Social Security and Medicare. Work out your own paycheck in Texas.

$48,620
median pay, all jobs
$23.38
median hourly pay
$41,246
take-home on the median, single filer
None
state income tax on wages
Jobs

The most common jobs in Texas.

The five occupations employing the most people, with their median annual pay:

OccupationJobsMedian pay
Fast Food and Counter Workers460,530$27,740
General and Operations Managers431,310$103,230
Retail Salespersons341,640$30,800
Customer Service Representatives337,170$40,420
Home Health and Personal Care Aides329,590$24,230

Of the 20 largest occupations, the best paid are software developers ($132,150), general and operations managers ($103,230), project management specialists ($98,440). See what common jobs pay in every state.

Housing

What a home costs, and who can afford one.

Across the 243 Texas counties with their own Zillow home value, the median typical home is worth $213,390, and across the 101 with their own rent figure the median typical rent is $1,474 a month. A typical home costs 2.89 years of the county's median family income, at the median county.

With 10% down at 7.03%, the average 30-year rate on September 24, 2026, that home costs about $1,739 a month with tax, insurance and mortgage insurance, which takes $74,524 a year of income under the usual 28% guideline. The median family can afford its own county's typical home in 49.0% of Texas's counties, against 44.9% of counties nationally. Try it with your own income.

At the median county, home values changed −0.2% over the past year and +7.0% over five years, and rents +1.1% over the past year.

The most expensive Texas counties are Kendall County ($594,611), Blanco County ($569,992) and Gillespie County ($514,118); the least expensive are Cochran County ($54,641), Hardeman County ($61,339) and Foard County ($69,973).

What a household needs

A modest budget, priced county by county.

The Economic Policy Institute prices what a modest but adequate standard of living costs in every county: housing, food, transport, healthcare, childcare, other necessities and taxes. In the median Texas county, that comes to $43,937 a year for one adult and $91,186 for two adults and two children, of which $14,965 is childcare. The national averages are $47,367 and $101,771. Median family income in the median county is $77,570.

Two adults, two childrenPer year, median countyPer month
Housing$11,712$976
Food$10,748$896
Transportation$19,700$1,642
Healthcare$18,093$1,508
Childcare$14,965$1,247
Other necessities$6,999$583
Taxes$8,885$740

Each line is its own median across counties, so the lines do not add up exactly to the total.

College

What college costs here.

The Department of Education's College Scorecard lists 411 colleges in Texas, 106 of them public. The median public college reports a cost of attendance of $15,214 a year, covering tuition, housing, books and other expenses. Ten years after enrolling, the median school's former students earn $38,382. Compare degrees and schools.

Every county

All 254 counties.

Show the table
Anderson County$219,538+2.2%$1,279$71,192$86,459
Andrews County$265,312+6.8%—$90,072$99,249
Angelina County$196,692−0.7%$1,362$70,020$85,919
Aransas County$302,613−5.2%$1,321$73,212$91,633
Archer County$246,653+4.7%—$92,292$95,832
Armstrong County$243,745+8.3%—$83,938$99,094
Atascosa County$246,992+1.5%$1,584$80,391$98,271
Austin County$428,059−0.8%$1,943$95,354$99,735
Bailey County$136,699−4.2%—$82,917$93,207
Bandera County$336,119−3.1%$1,478$89,507$102,702
Bastrop County$359,509−4.7%$1,811$94,804$114,739
Baylor County$138,403+12.8%—$61,089$93,663
Bee County$163,914−2.1%$1,002$74,774$87,375
Bell County$251,808−1.8%$1,344$79,450$91,553
Bexar County$256,204−2.2%$1,401$84,936$98,896
Blanco County$569,992−4.2%$1,812$97,647$102,977
Borden County———$63,750$94,889
Bosque County$242,714−0.9%—$82,047$85,925
Bowie County$195,599+0.8%$1,295$72,976$89,340
Brazoria County$326,748−1.3%$1,766$109,768$104,823
Brazos County$315,372+0.2%$1,437$86,562$95,085
Brewster County$221,177−3.9%—$69,295$84,650
Briscoe County$164,842+10.5%—$63,125$91,611
Brooks County$71,190−10.6%—$40,523$85,105
Brown County$188,539−1.3%—$70,993$90,693
Burleson County$272,647−0.2%$1,647$87,949$95,219
Burnet County$428,828−2.3%$1,570$92,976$98,756
Caldwell County$284,198−5.9%$1,585$80,398$107,082
Calhoun County$206,643+1.2%—$84,763$87,537
Callahan County$224,939+6.1%—$75,941$95,044
Cameron County$207,321+1.3%$1,447$58,672$83,095
Camp County$214,748−1.6%—$64,505$88,266
Carson County$166,780+3.8%—$113,929$98,494
Cass County$162,762−2.1%$1,110$65,857$87,112
Castro County$139,445−3.1%—$64,795$91,714
Chambers County$351,582+0.9%$2,113$121,384$115,061
Cherokee County$227,338−3.0%$1,414$66,120$85,295
Childress County$138,773+23.3%—$78,828$89,651
Clay County$209,058+0.7%—$93,254$97,101
Cochran County$54,641−12.2%—$53,828$91,632
Coke County$145,877+3.1%—$71,208$88,489
Coleman County$146,561+5.7%—$64,351$91,636
Collin County$483,125−5.5%$1,728$140,955$121,711
Collingsworth County$82,465−5.7%—$64,948$89,965
Colorado County$298,610−3.8%—$90,342$93,623
Comal County$436,988−1.3%$1,547$118,240$106,492
Comanche County$240,439+6.6%—$82,016$90,790
Concho County$162,201−1.1%—$72,391$93,986
Cooke County$319,380−1.0%$1,559$91,182$96,580
Coryell County$227,208+0.2%$1,227$78,730$91,276
Cottle County$70,485+28.0%—$77,717$88,192
Crane County$208,820+2.5%—$75,192$90,112
Crockett County$109,596−8.7%—$107,576$90,308
Crosby County$90,907−0.3%—$68,068$90,350
Culberson County$147,148+17.5%—$61,029$90,274
Dallam County$156,458+5.2%—$82,306$90,104
Dallas County$310,705−2.3%$1,643$85,452$110,232
Dawson County$114,456+5.3%—$67,958$88,122
Deaf Smith County$178,026−0.8%—$56,354$91,813
Delta County$202,767−2.5%—$84,856$87,907
Denton County$441,522−3.6%$1,708$132,005$119,810
DeWitt County$218,988−2.9%—$71,219$90,371
Dickens County$98,601+0.2%—$68,194$92,980
Dimmit County$131,844+5.6%—$35,246$83,282
Donley County$129,695+11.5%—$78,091$90,724
Duval County$74,679−10.0%—$63,165$92,549
Eastland County$151,061−0.1%—$68,329$89,052
Ector County$255,564+4.9%$1,551$83,095$103,742
Edwards County———$49,464$88,158
El Paso County$233,326+1.8%$1,534$65,744$85,677
Ellis County$375,371−1.1%$1,829$106,294$113,167
Erath County$344,323+0.1%$901$85,301$97,079
Falls County$143,839−4.1%—$70,846$86,996
Fannin County$288,990−1.4%$1,536$83,681$92,102
Fayette County$456,970−2.0%—$94,478$96,733
Fisher County$107,469+9.7%—$75,809$91,413
Floyd County$80,425−1.9%—$61,726$90,893
Foard County$69,973−5.6%—$50,417$95,115
Fort Bend County$380,844−2.1%$2,024$127,048$118,392
Franklin County$325,635+1.9%—$76,203$90,994
Freestone County$236,502−2.8%—$81,037$84,063
Frio County$162,839+2.9%—$64,438$90,448
Gaines County$244,471+1.3%—$92,458$92,548
Galveston County$321,294−1.8%$1,593$107,271$107,355
Garza County$132,542+2.4%—$71,250$92,099
Gillespie County$514,118−5.1%$2,166$93,583$98,191
Glasscock County$269,736+1.9%—$139,205$96,245
Goliad County$285,593+4.0%—$88,814$91,005
Gonzales County$258,616−7.5%—$71,391$84,531
Gray County$103,569−1.7%—$67,128$90,746
Grayson County$288,077−4.9%$1,348$85,605$101,486
Gregg County$223,292+0.7%$1,159$77,425$87,617
Grimes County$348,710−1.9%$1,548$81,727$93,579
Guadalupe County$299,121−2.1%$1,708$106,352$106,431
Hale County$121,308−1.8%—$62,107$88,346
Hall County$87,567+10.8%—$54,000$91,336
Hamilton County$278,033+2.4%—$77,388$89,548
Hansford County$134,007+5.9%—$94,765$90,627
Hardeman County$61,339−16.3%—$69,444$91,186
Hardin County$233,066+1.5%$1,703$93,519$90,986
Harris County$280,978−2.3%$1,601$86,227$99,674
Harrison County$212,705−0.9%$1,278$80,735$89,979
Hartley County$258,231+6.2%—$91,146$93,497
Haskell County$103,059+4.4%—$71,182$91,540
Hays County$372,221−4.3%$1,554$106,301$114,268
Hemphill County$177,861+9.3%—$113,816$93,835
Henderson County$270,755−3.1%$1,335$79,355$86,617
Hidalgo County$191,5130.0%$1,118$57,989$83,444
Hill County$237,966−0.3%$1,222$78,513$86,010
Hockley County$167,824+2.2%$750$67,500$90,433
Hood County$381,946−0.2%$1,711$102,329$105,023
Hopkins County$263,191−3.5%$1,384$78,992$88,511
Houston County$210,421+1.2%—$73,477$83,745
Howard County$150,014+4.4%$1,233$86,214$91,077
Hudspeth County———$55,952$92,565
Hunt County$275,809−3.2%$1,547$79,310$106,362
Hutchinson County$118,845+2.0%$942$89,844$91,857
Irion County$251,906−7.3%—$78,125$97,320
Jack County$235,891+0.3%—$75,000$87,095
Jackson County$212,665−2.5%—$74,570$89,931
Jasper County$193,471−3.2%—$64,386$86,101
Jeff Davis County$210,561−2.5%—$75,375$90,053
Jefferson County$177,853+3.7%$1,310$75,087$88,225
Jim Hogg County$79,705+0.3%—$47,072$90,634
Jim Wells County$140,091−8.6%—$60,878$87,872
Johnson County$341,149−1.6%$1,607$91,560$112,577
Jones County$158,896+4.5%—$70,951$95,575
Karnes County$213,405+1.2%—$71,879$96,759
Kaufman County$298,854−4.2%$1,880$98,823$117,754
Kendall County$594,611−1.0%$1,544$133,906$113,330
Kenedy County————$86,010
Kent County———$95,167$95,534
Kerr County$373,298−2.5%$1,909$84,820$91,254
Kimble County$366,007+10.5%—$92,454$89,024
King County———$59,250$95,533
Kinney County$129,298+3.6%—$72,236$86,152
Kleberg County$148,045+1.6%$1,474$69,837$91,517
Knox County$99,853+2.4%—$62,604$90,389
La Salle County$111,964−11.6%—$57,598$85,390
Lamar County$205,946+2.9%$1,218$75,060$85,912
Lamb County$106,863−6.6%—$71,478$90,949
Lampasas County$318,649+1.5%$1,463$94,722$91,156
Lavaca County$297,361+1.3%—$86,724$89,107
Lee County$362,268−0.1%$1,288$75,625$101,052
Leon County$297,371−1.4%—$75,328$90,879
Liberty County$234,145−1.7%$1,556$74,812$101,467
Limestone County$178,467−2.0%—$66,689$83,446
Lipscomb County$110,445−0.8%—$85,000$96,520
Live Oak County$226,507−0.7%—$71,066$90,856
Llano County$454,750−4.9%$1,610$81,256$95,065
Loving County————$97,108
Lubbock County$215,597+2.2%$1,384$82,282$95,654
Lynn County$207,618+9.8%—$75,469$93,874
Madison County$290,452−1.2%—$77,742$91,551
Marion County$148,516−2.7%—$60,500$83,411
Martin County$262,096+1.4%—$92,696$112,507
Mason County$365,127−1.6%—$84,847$88,841
Matagorda County$210,200+1.5%$809$70,918$94,144
Maverick County$222,286−2.1%$1,206$61,359$82,223
McCulloch County$162,617+6.9%—$75,333$89,092
McLennan County$263,020−0.2%$1,439$83,268$92,784
McMullen County———$57,188$93,767
Medina County$323,532−2.8%$1,641$89,969$97,814
Menard County$213,390+6.6%—$77,344$89,514
Midland County$334,709+1.6%$1,636$114,731$109,198
Milam County$274,542+0.9%—$76,446$86,436
Mills County$394,615+6.6%—$78,125$90,518
Mitchell County$96,690+0.7%—$96,949$91,716
Montague County$259,445−3.0%—$79,182$88,425
Montgomery County$347,049−1.4%$1,755$114,809$109,667
Moore County$188,543+5.4%—$66,430$90,067
Morris County$165,440−2.6%—$63,929$86,752
Motley County$127,744+10.5%—$70,156$91,146
Nacogdoches County$224,627+3.0%$1,110$67,218$86,080
Navarro County$232,932+0.8%$1,327$75,198$89,336
Newton County$158,057+4.2%—$60,704$85,632
Nolan County$121,540+4.5%—$59,552$89,168
Nueces County$228,249−0.1%$1,427$78,933$96,499
Ochiltree County$131,982+10.9%—$82,616$90,997
Oldham County———$82,981$100,753
Orange County$189,595+2.3%$1,228$95,784$90,494
Palo Pinto County$288,924−0.6%$1,186$75,739$96,247
Panola County$205,010+5.0%—$83,021$85,614
Parker County$445,957−0.3%$1,627$116,107$116,173
Parmer County$174,712+10.3%—$80,670$92,292
Pecos County$160,597−0.2%—$77,715$89,011
Polk County$177,952−3.3%$1,643$68,025$84,726
Potter County$152,522+3.9%$1,060$64,237$92,824
Presidio County$226,386−1.1%—$53,021$85,231
Rains County$294,302+2.2%—$77,377$88,292
Randall County$263,738+3.3%$1,432$101,382$98,713
Reagan County$168,588−8.4%—$83,111$88,496
Real County$297,404−2.9%—$61,188$87,118
Red River County$179,883+8.0%—$58,531$87,916
Reeves County$178,730+1.9%—$55,316$90,304
Refugio County$135,844−7.5%—$67,316$86,082
Roberts County———$83,750$99,857
Robertson County$281,216+4.0%—$78,837$93,014
Rockwall County$415,992−2.5%$1,892$137,781$126,841
Runnels County$138,899+3.0%—$70,641$91,227
Rusk County$213,104+4.3%$1,275$83,000$90,500
Sabine County$204,177+3.2%—$68,998$86,830
San Augustine County$169,343+1.4%—$50,014$86,614
San Jacinto County$233,066−1.5%—$73,595$87,304
San Patricio County$209,869+1.2%$1,467$78,520$100,506
San Saba County$213,736−1.5%—$65,062$86,942
Schleicher County———$92,147$91,488
Scurry County$149,867+3.7%—$81,974$91,064
Shackelford County$163,380−1.4%—$88,984$93,033
Shelby County$217,726−4.9%—$57,991$85,906
Sherman County$176,088+4.7%—$86,275$92,913
Smith County$271,322−0.8%$1,422$86,676$95,729
Somervell County$417,2950.0%—$96,810$96,936
Starr County$142,437+1.7%—$44,075$83,332
Stephens County$160,571−3.1%—$68,860$91,185
Sterling County$168,852+1.4%—$128,500$101,382
Stonewall County$101,087+0.7%—$95,119$94,056
Sutton County$147,167−5.0%—$70,720$91,786
Swisher County$102,909+2.2%—$60,250$89,562
Tarrant County$324,334−1.3%$1,623$99,287$111,970
Taylor County$227,401+8.4%$2,011$83,956$95,528
Terrell County$111,187−11.8%—$63,906$91,175
Terry County$121,820−3.6%—$56,811$89,903
Throckmorton County$136,833−16.0%—$74,688$93,941
Titus County$227,621−3.3%$1,650$71,038$86,224
Tom Green County$231,703−2.3%$1,335$83,170$94,943
Travis County$473,077−4.5%$1,643$126,667$122,768
Trinity County$173,569−4.8%—$70,391$83,656
Tyler County$176,746+2.1%—$71,200$86,796
Upshur County$239,627+0.2%—$75,792$89,759
Upton County$121,205+3.0%—$74,000$89,382
Uvalde County$192,222−4.4%—$64,830$87,108
Val Verde County$208,546−3.7%$1,395$69,392$83,256
Van Zandt County$283,066−0.1%$1,468$81,732$89,373
Victoria County$220,051+0.6%$1,189$83,877$96,125
Walker County$275,836+0.2%$1,342$71,342$94,257
Waller County$364,635−2.2%$2,310$85,383$107,619
Ward County$188,505+1.7%—$73,765$91,250
Washington County$370,894+0.6%$1,570$92,645$94,191
Webb County$218,946+2.5%$1,305$67,929$92,528
Wharton County$248,277+1.3%$1,356$81,036$90,430
Wheeler County$98,344+7.0%—$72,500$90,961
Wichita County$171,666+1.8%$1,297$81,529$95,641
Wilbarger County$104,158+2.5%—$75,298$90,110
Willacy County$179,562−1.6%—$53,833$81,428
Williamson County$403,016−5.8%$1,673$129,273$122,692
Wilson County$406,719+0.1%$1,661$107,326$100,031
Winkler County$142,688+15.0%—$102,958$88,218
Wise County$376,447−0.9%$1,665$103,720$105,269
Wood County$273,401−2.0%$1,325$80,153$88,589
Yoakum County$189,966−4.4%—$91,396$97,128
Young County$180,526−1.4%—$86,090$86,187
Zapata County$124,667−5.0%—$40,678$87,316
Zavala County$94,551+17.4%—$38,734$83,617

A dash means the source publishes no figure for that county. Home values and rents are Zillow's own county figures only; counties Zillow does not cover are left blank rather than filled with a state average.

Metro areas

The largest metro areas in Texas.

Dallas, TX (typical rent $1,667), Houston, TX (typical rent $1,654), San Antonio, TX (typical rent $1,425), Austin, TX (typical rent $1,647), McAllen, TX (typical rent $1,118), El Paso, TX (typical rent $1,534).

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Where this comes from
Prices
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by State, 2024. Electricity: EIA average residential price, 2024. Gas: AAA state averages, August 30, 2026.
Pay
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, all occupations. Take-home uses the paycheck calculator's 2026 federal tables and the state's own tax tables.
Homes and rents
Zillow Home Value Index and Observed Rent Index by county, July 2026. Mortgage rate: Freddie Mac, 7.03% on September 24, 2026; 1.1% property tax and $1,700 a year of insurance assumed.
Budgets and family income
Economic Policy Institute, Family Budget Calculator, 2026 edition, by county.
Jobs and colleges
BLS OEWS May 2025 by occupation. U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, latest cohort. Home value and rent changes compare Zillow's latest month with the same month one and five years earlier.

County figures are medians across Texas's counties, each counting once, so they describe the spread of places rather than of people. Property tax and insurance vary widely; the calculators let you use your own.

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What your salary is really worth in another state or county.
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The most house your income and debts support, and what it costs monthly.
Paycheck Calculator
Take-home pay after federal, state and FICA withholding.