Houston vs Midland
The short version
- Midland is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Houston area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $277,800 in Houston and $319,200 in Midland.
- Households earn more in Midland ($89,585 vs $64,813 median).
- Houston has the warmer winter: January highs of 64°F vs 59°F.
- Midland is growing faster: +11.1% since 2020 vs +4.2%.
- Commutes are shorter in Midland (20 vs 27 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Midland, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 2,397,315 | 147,615 |
| Growth since 2020 | +4.2% | +11.1% |
| People per square mile | 3,741 | 1,938 |
| Median age | 34.4 | 31.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37% | 34% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $64,813 | $89,585 |
| Median home value | $277,800 | $319,200 |
| Home value to income | 4.3× | 3.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,361 | $1,434 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 98.6 | 95.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 104.5 | 101.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $74,000 | $71,800 |
| Homeowners | 42% | 65% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.2 | 20.1 |
| Work from home | 13% | 6% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.9% | 3.5% |
| Poverty rate | 19.9% | 12.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 64° / 44° | 59° / 33° |
| July high / low | 95° / 76° | 96° / 73° |
| Precipitation per year | 52 in | 14 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 4 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 111 | 115 |
| Nights below freezing | 10 | 58 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.9 | 81.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 10% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +3.4% | +4.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +32.7% | +27.5% |
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: Houston: November to April. Midland: March to April and October.
Full monthly tables: Houston weather by month and Midland weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $74,000 in Houston and $71,800 in Midland. Moving from Houston to Midland, you would need about $72,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Houston and Midland
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Houston and Midland.
Which would you pick?
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