Renting in Houston costs about $1,880 a month, and the typical home is listed at $347,000. That puts the price-to-rent ratio at 15.4: a typical home costs as much as 15.4 years of rent.
Houston now and in 2031
| Now | 2031 (projected) | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent | $1,880/mo | $1,875/mo |
| Typical list price | $347,000 | $424,000 |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 15.4 | — |
Rent is projected at -0.1% a year, the trend in RentCast's median rents for these ZIP codes since mid-2024. For home values: The first 2 years follow this year's change in list prices (+1.1%); later years use the Federal Housing Finance Agency's house price index average for these ZIP codes from 2020 to 2025 (+6.1% a year). These are trends carried forward, not predictions of the next market turn.
How to read the price-to-rent ratio
The ratio divides the typical list price by a year of typical rent. A higher ratio means buying is expensive relative to renting; a lower one means monthly rent is high compared with what a home costs. It's a quick way to compare cities, not a verdict for your situation.
By ZIP code
| ZIP | Median rent | Rental listings | Median list price | Sale listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77084 | $1,900/mo | 576 | $289,000 | 529 |
| 77036 | $1,350/mo | 200 | $119,000 | 206 |
| 77077 | $1,950/mo | 330 | $399,000 | 338 |
| 77072 | $1,650/mo | 229 | $180,000 | 227 |
| 77082 | $1,599/mo | 339 | $290,000 | 272 |
| 77089 | $1,850/mo | 154 | $279,500 | 210 |
| 77088 | $1,800/mo | 347 | $269,999 | 465 |
| 77081 | $1,325/mo | 53 | $399,900 | 44 |
| 77099 | $1,450/mo | 175 | $185,000 | 167 |
| 77080 | $2,350/mo | 247 | $420,000 | 302 |
| 77093 | $1,400/mo | 102 | $225,000 | 156 |
| 77057 | $1,350/mo | 579 | $240,000 | 422 |
| 77007 | $2,550/mo | 786 | $540,000 | 639 |
| 77060 | $1,258/mo | 42 | $247,000 | 60 |
| 77055 | $2,200/mo | 306 | $649,900 | 375 |
What this doesn't account for
Mortgage rates, your down payment, property taxes, insurance, HOA fees, maintenance, and how long you'll stay decide more than any city-wide figure. These are area numbers built from active listings; they don't know the specific home or your finances.
Source: RentCast market data for 15 of Houston's 73 ZIP codes (the most populous, home to 36% of residents in the city's ZIP codes, per the Census Bureau's ACS 2023). A ZIP counts only with at least 20 active listings. Retrieved October 14, 2026. Figures are listing-weighted averages of ZIP medians, not an appraisal. How Predictye calculates this.
Frequently asked questions
How much is rent in Houston, TX?
Typical asking rent is $1,880 a month, across 4,465 active rental listings in 15 ZIP codes.
How much do homes cost in Houston, TX?
The typical list price is $347,000, across 4,412 active sale listings in 15 ZIP codes. List prices are asking prices, not final sale prices.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Houston, TX?
About 15.4: the typical list price equals 15.4 years of typical rent. The higher the ratio, the more buying costs relative to renting.