Dallas vs The Woodlands
The short version
- The Woodlands is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Dallas area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $320,700 in Dallas and $511,700 in The Woodlands.
- Households earn more in The Woodlands ($140,701 vs $70,518 median).
- The Woodlands has the warmer winter: January highs of 64°F vs 58°F.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | The Woodlands, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 1,329,491 | 121,002 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.9% | n/a |
| People per square mile | 3,914 | 2,796 |
| Median age | 33.4 | 40.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38% | 66% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $70,518 | $140,701 |
| Median home value | $320,700 | $511,700 |
| Home value to income | 4.5× | 3.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,472 | $1,822 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.1 | 98.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 117.9 | 104.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,300 | $74,000 |
| Homeowners | 42% | 73% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 25.7 | 27.0 |
| Work from home | 16% | 22% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.9% | 4.9% |
| Poverty rate | 16.7% | 5.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 58° / 38° | 64° / 44° |
| July high / low | 97° / 78° | 95° / 76° |
| Precipitation per year | 38 in | 52 in |
| Snowfall per year | 2 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 108 | 111 |
| Nights below freezing | 23 | 10 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.7 | 95.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 28% | 10% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.5% | +3.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +35.4% | +32.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Dallas: March to April and November. The Woodlands: November to April.
Full monthly tables: Dallas weather by month and The Woodlands weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,300 in Dallas and $74,000 in The Woodlands. Moving from Dallas to The Woodlands, you would need about $71,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Dallas and The Woodlands
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Dallas and The Woodlands.
Which would you pick?
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