Cost of Living: Waltham, MA vs Houston, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,224/mo in Waltham, MA versus $4,516/mo in Houston, TX. In the model, rent is about 32.52% of gross in Waltham, MA versus 19.13% in Houston, TX, so Houston, TX tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Waltham, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Houston, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Waltham, MA
32.52%
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 Waltham, MA 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: Waltham, MA

Cost of Living Index

Waltham, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Houston, TX: 92.1 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Waltham, MA: $2,121/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Houston, TX: $1,248/mo

Median rent in Waltham, MA is $873/mo higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Home Price

Waltham, MA: $705,700 · Houston, TX: $253,400

Median home price in Waltham, MA is $452,300 higher than in Houston, TX.

Median Household Income

Waltham, MA: $116,560 · Houston, TX: $62,894

Waltham, MA has a higher median household income than Houston, TX by $53,666.

Waltham, MA overview · Houston, TX overview · Popular comparisons