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Houston
#15 of 124
North America

Houston

TX, United States

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Houston compare to San Francisco?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Houston is 16% worse off vs in San Francisco

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Houston compared to San Francisco, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$130,000
-$142K (-52%) vs San Francisco
Based on 477 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$89,050
-$83K (-48%) vs San Francisco
Tax Rate: 32%

Community Insights

New

Houston is the pragmatic choice for software engineers. It trades the glamour, walkability, and nature of traditional tech hubs for unmatched financial freedom and comfort. While the data shows a lower safety index and challenging weather, the economic reality is compelling: high purchasing power and incredibly affordable housing allow engineers to buy homes and build wealth rapidly.

The tech scene is unique; rather than the "move fast and break things" startup culture, you will likely find roles in established enterprise sectors like energy, healthcare, and space. It is a city that prioritizes indoor living, consumption (food and shopping), and private amenities over public spaces and outdoor recreation.

Resident Sentiment

"Ugly but comfortable" is a common sentiment. Transplants often experience initial culture shock regarding the humidity and traffic, but eventually settle into an appreciation for the low cost of living and food culture.

Many residents feel they are wearing "golden handcuffs"—they might not love the city's aesthetics or weather, but the quality of life (house size, disposable income) is so high that moving to a "cooler" city would feel like a massive financial downgrade. There is a strong consensus that while Austin gets the hype, Houston gets the work done.

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to San Francisco.

Rankings

Home Affordability

Top 2%

#3

of 124 cities

≈2 yrs to buy 80m²

Current value

Purchasing Power

Top 12%

#15

of 124 cities

Net Income

Top 22%

#27

of 124 cities

$89,050/yr

Current value

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Houston compared to San Francisco?

Avg. Property Price
$2,275 / m²
77% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Houston to maintain the same standard of living.

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Do you have kids?

Cost of Living
38% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Houston

Amazon logo
Amazon
HPE logo
HPE
JPMorgan Chase logo
JPMorgan Chase

The Good

  • Exceptional Purchasing Power: Ranked #13 globally, your salary goes much further here than in major tech hubs; residents frequently mention the ability to achieve a high standard of living.
  • Housing Affordability: Ranked #4, buying a home is a realistic goal for software engineers, unlike in Austin or the Bay Area.
  • Diverse Food Scene: Widely considered the culinary capital of the South, offering incredible variety and affordability that locals consistently rave about.
  • No State Income Tax: Maximizes take-home pay, which is a significant factor for high-earning tech professionals.
  • Stable Industry Niches: Tech jobs are often embedded in massive, stable sectors like Oil & Gas, Healthcare (Texas Medical Center), and Aerospace, providing job security distinct from the volatile startup market.
  • Airport Connectivity: Two major airports (IAH and HOU) make international and domestic travel easy, which is a perk for consultants and travelers.

The Bad

  • Car Dependency & Traffic: Public transit is limited; living here essentially requires a car, and sprawl leads to long, draining commutes.
  • Oppressive Weather: Summers are described as brutal, with extreme heat and high humidity for several months, limiting outdoor activities.
  • Lack of Nature/Scenery: Residents often complain about the city being flat and concrete-heavy, lacking the mountains, hiking trails, or scenic beauty found in other tech cities.
  • Safety Concerns: The city ranks low on safety indices (#109), and property crime is a frequent topic of discussion in specific neighborhoods.
  • Environmental Risks: Regular threats of hurricanes and flooding can be stressful and impact insurance rates.
  • Smaller Tech Ecosystem: Compared to Austin, the "pure tech" scene is smaller; fewer meetups, startups, and VC firms, leading to a more corporate/enterprise engineering culture.

The Verdict

You'll love it if...

The Financial Strategist: Engineers looking to maximize savings and net worth who are tired of renting shoe-box apartments in high-cost cities.

Families & Homebodies: Those who prioritize owning a large home with a yard and value a diverse, family-friendly environment over nightlife or hiking.

Industry Specialists: Developers with experience or interest in energy trading, health-tech, or aerospace, as this is the global hub for those intersections.

Skip it if...

The Urbanist & Commuter: If you hate driving or rely on public transportation, you will struggle here. Walkability is virtually non-existent outside of very specific pockets.

The Outdoor Enthusiast: If your weekends revolve around hiking mountains, surfing, or camping in scenic nature, you will be depressed by the flat geography and intense heat.

The Startup Chaser: If you are looking for a vibrant, density-packed community of crypto-bros and early-stage startup grinders, you will find the scene here too corporate and spread out.

Updated 11/29/2025

Weather4.0/10-54% vs San Francisco
Safety37-7%
Pollution57+16%
Events5-90%
4.0/10TechCities weather score vs 8.7/10 in San Francisco

0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

Weather snapshot

Average High
27°C(vs 19°C in San Francisco)
Average Low
17°C(vs 12°C in San Francisco)
Sunshine Hours
2,578h/yr-484h/yr(-16%)
Hottest Month High
35°C(vs 22°C in San Francisco)
Coldest Month Low
8°C(same as San Francisco)
Rainy Days
105/yr+57/yr(+117%)

Community & Quality

Houston community pulse

Houston has 5 Luma events listed.

90% fewer events than San Francisco.

Community Events

Middle of the pack

#58

of 124 cities

5 events on luma

Current value

Tax Rate

Middle of the pack

#62

of 124 cities

32%

Current value (lower is better)

Comfortable Weather

Middle of the pack

#70

of 124 cities

40/100 weather score

Current value

Cost of Living

Middle of the pack

#71

of 124 cities

55/100

Current value (lower is better)

Pollution Score

Middle of the pack

#80

of 124 cities

56.9/100

Current value (lower is better)

Safety Index

Bottom 13%

#109

of 124 cities

36.8/100

Current value

SWE Affordability
2.0 years
2.6 years quicker than San Francisco
Muggy Days
177/yr+177/yr(+88600%)
Cloud Cover
41%(vs 34% in San Francisco)