According to the study, the median affordability gap for a home in Houston is about $130,000, meaning that the median household can afford a home that is approximately $195,000 in a real estate market where the median home price is $325,000.
The cost of housing in the Houston area has continued to grow for both renters and homeowners, while income levels struggle to keep up, according to a new study by Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research.
The 2025 State of Housing in Harris County and Houston study found the median rent in Houston increased by 9% in one year, or 6% when accounting for inflation. The cost of buying a home in Houston and Harris County has increased by 3%, with median home prices rising from $325,000 in 2023 to $345,000 in 2024.
As the price of housing rises, incomes are not keeping up, said Stephen Sherman, a research scientist with the Kinder Institute and c0-author of the study…