Most affordable cities for home buyers in Texas.
Affordability = how many years of household income buys the median home. This ranks Texas cities by price-to-income ratio (lower = more affordable).
Last updated
Texas ranking
50 cities ranked. Click any row for the matching local page.
| # | City | Price-to-income ratio | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes | 5.5x income | 42 | View → |
| 2 | San Elizario | 5.5x income | 42 | View → |
| 3 | Donna | 5.3x income | 45 | View → |
| 4 | Waco | 5.2x income | 47 | View → |
| 5 | Houston | 5.1x income | 48 | View → |
| 6 | San Antonio | 5.1x income | 48 | View → |
| 7 | Dallas | 5.1x income | 48 | View → |
| 8 | Roma | 5.1x income | 48 | View → |
| 9 | Fort Worth | 4.9x income | 52 | View → |
| 10 | El Paso | 4.9x income | 52 | View → |
| 11 | Crystal City | 4.9x income | 52 | View → |
| 12 | Marlin | 4.9x income | 52 | View → |
| 13 | San Benito | 4.8x income | 53 | View → |
| 14 | Austin | 4.8x income | 54 | View → |
| 15 | Brownsville | 4.8x income | 54 | View → |
| 16 | Rio Grande City | 4.8x income | 54 | View → |
| 17 | Mission | 4.7x income | 55 | View → |
| 18 | Alamo | 4.7x income | 55 | View → |
| 19 | Arlington | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 20 | Corpus Christi | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 21 | Lubbock | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 22 | Laredo | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 23 | Garland | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 24 | Irving | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 25 | Amarillo | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 26 | Grand Prairie | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 27 | Pasadena | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 28 | Tyler | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 29 | Odessa | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 30 | Denton | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 31 | Beaumont | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 32 | Mesquite | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 33 | Edinburg | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 34 | Midland | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 35 | Killeen | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 36 | Humble | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 37 | Mcallen | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 38 | Conroe | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 39 | Abilene | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 40 | Carrollton | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 41 | Lewisville | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 42 | College Station | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 43 | Baytown | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 44 | San Angelo | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 45 | Longview | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 46 | Wichita Falls | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 47 | Pharr | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 48 | Edcouch | 4.6x income | 56 | View → |
| 49 | Eagle Pass | 4.6x income | 57 | View → |
| 50 | Fort Hood | 4.6x income | 57 | View → |
Methodology
Ratio = estimated home value ÷ average household income (Census ACS). Demographia bands (under 3.0 affordable, over 5.0 severely unaffordable) are designed around medians, so treat these as directional. Cities whose true median home value likely exceeds the dataset's modeled value (e.g. SF Bay, Manhattan) are flagged in their state pages.
FAQ
- What's a healthy ratio in Texas?
- Under 3.0 is considered affordable; 3.0-4.0 moderate; 4.0-5.0 seriously unaffordable; over 5.0 severely unaffordable.
- Does this account for interest rates?
- No, price-to-income is rate-agnostic so it stays comparable across cycles.
- What if my income is higher?
- Your personal ratio matters more than the market median. Use it as a relative comparison.
Other reports for Texas
Best Cities for Owner Financing
Cheapest Rent-to-Own Markets
Cities With Most FSBO Activity
Investor Competition by Market
Estimated Owner-Finance Down Payment by City
Cities With Most Cash Buyers
Foreclosure Risk by City
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