Elgin vs Houston
The short version
- Houston is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 5% lower than in the Elgin area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $273,000 in Elgin and $277,800 in Houston.
- Households earn more in Elgin ($90,282 vs $64,813 median).
- Houston has the warmer winter: January highs of 64°F vs 30°F.
- Elgin gets far more snow: 32 inches a year vs 0.
- Houston has more scorching days: 111 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 15.
- Houston is growing faster: +4.2% since 2020 vs +0.6%.
- Texas has no state income tax on wages; Illinois's top rate is 4.95%.
Side by side
| Elgin, IL | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 115,476 | 2,397,315 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.6% | +4.2% |
| People per square mile | 3,025 | 3,741 |
| Median age | 36.7 | 34.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27% | 37% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $90,282 | $64,813 |
| Median home value | $273,000 | $277,800 |
| Home value to income | 3.0× | 4.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,361 | $1,361 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 98.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 112.0 | 104.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,700 | $74,000 |
| Homeowners | 72% | 42% |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.98% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 28.2 | 27.2 |
| Work from home | 13% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 3% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.1% | 6.9% |
| Poverty rate | 9.8% | 19.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 30° / 14° | 64° / 44° |
| July high / low | 84° / 63° | 95° / 76° |
| Precipitation per year | 40 in | 52 in |
| Snowfall per year | 32 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 15 | 111 |
| Nights below freezing | 139 | 10 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 94.6 | 99.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 30% | 10% |
| Home prices, past year | +6% | +3.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +53% | +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: Elgin: June to September. Houston: November to April.
Full monthly tables: Elgin weather by month and Houston weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,700 in Elgin and $74,000 in Houston. Moving from Elgin to Houston, you would need about $71,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Elgin and Houston
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Elgin and Houston.
Which would you pick?
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