Cost of Living: Palmdale, CA vs Houston, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Palmdale, CA versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 25.3% of gross in Palmdale, CA versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Houston, TX tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Palmdale, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Palmdale, CA
25.3%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Houston, TX
19.13%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Palmdale, CA and Houston, TX.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Houston, TX
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Houston, TX
  • Lower home prices: Houston, TX
  • Higher median household income: Palmdale, CA

Cost of Living Index

Palmdale, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

Houston, TX has a lower cost-of-living index than Palmdale, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Palmdale, CA: $1,650/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Palmdale, CA is $402/mo higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Home Price

Palmdale, CA: $435,300 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Palmdale, CA is $181,900 higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Household Income

Palmdale, CA: $81,151 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Palmdale, CA has a higher median household income than Houston, TX by $18,257.

Palmdale, CA overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons