Texas may bring images of wide-open spaces to mind, but its biggest cities are drawing more people — and offering relatively affordable urban living compared to many other major U.S. metros.
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The Lone Star State places nine cities on the list of the 75 most populous in the U.S. Seven of those nine cities saw population increases between 2022 and 2023. In all but two of the seven, you can live comfortably on an annual income of less than $100,000 a year.
That’s according to a recent GOBankingRates analysis that blends data from the U.S. Census, the Zillow Home Value Index, and Federal Reserve Economic Data. GBR determined the salary needed to live comfortably in each city by doubling the total annual cost of living.
Based on these numbers, comfortable living in Texas’ largest cities means annual expenditures ranging from $75,000 to $125,000. Here’s a look at each of the nine cities and their living costs, along with populations and livability scores from AreaVibes.
Houston
- Population: 2,300,419
- Livability: 74
- Total cost of living annually: $43,438
- Comfortable cost of living annually: $86,876
Sprawling Houston is the fourth most populous city in the nation. Houston’s household median income was about $63,000 in 2023, the most recent year available. Single-family homes here are worth $277,000 on average.
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San Antonio
- Population: 1,458,954
- Livability: 80
- Total cost of living annually: $40,362
- Comfortable cost of living annually: $80,724
San Antonio saw high population growth between 2022 and 2023, with a boost of nearly 1%. Single-family homes here are valued at around $548,000 on average. San Antonio’s median household income comes in at $63,000.
Dallas
- Population: 1,299,553
- Livability: 81
- Total cost of living annually: $47,589
- Comfortable cost of living annually: $95,177
Single-family homes in Dallas are worth $332,000 on average. The city’s median annual income in 2023 stood at $68,000.
Austin
- Population: 967,862
- Livability: 83
- Total cost of living annually: $62,863
- Comfortable cost of living annually: $125,726
Austin is tied for the fifth-highest livability score among the 75 largest American cities. The salary required to live comfortably here is the highest among Texas’ nine largest cities. Austin’s median household income is about $91,000, based on the most recent numbers available.
Fort Worth
- Population: 941,311
- Livability: 80
- Total cost of living annually: $45,555
- Comfortable cost of living annually: $91,110
Among the 75 largest U.S. cities, Fort Worth saw the fourth-highest population bump between 2022 and 2023 (1.8%). Single-family homes here are worth $557,000 on average, and the median household income comes in at $77,000.
El Paso
- Population: 678,147
- Livability: 81
- Total cost of living annually: $38,249
- Comfortable cost of living annually: $76,497
El Paso offers a reasonable livability score combined with relatively inexpensive living costs. The household median income is just $59,000, but single-family homes are within reach for many, with an average value of $232,000.
Arlington
- Population: 394,769
- Livability: 78
- Total cost of living annually: $46,645
- Comfortable cost of living annually: $93,290
Located between Dallas and Fort Worth, Arlington has a median household income of $74,000. Single-family homes in Arlington are worth around $321,000.
Corpus Christi
- Population: 317,383
- Livability: 80
- Total cost of living annually: $37,602
- Comfortable cost of living annually: $75,204
The average value of a single-family home in Corpus Christi is $222,376 — the 11th least expensive among America’s 75 largest cities. Corpus Christi’s median household income is listed at $66,000, only about $9,000 short of the salary needed to live comfortably.
Plano
- Population: 287,339
- Livability: 83
- Total cost of living annually: $59,932
- Comfortable cost of living annually: $119,864
Plano’s livability score of 83, solid for a major city, ties it with Austin for fifth-highest among the 75 largest U.S. cities. Among the cities in this list, Plano’s cost of living comfortably is second highest — trailing only Austin.
Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed the 75 largest U.S. cities by population and determined the salary needed to live in each location. GBR determined the top 75 cities by population using the U.S. Census American Community Survey. The single-family home value was sourced from the Zillow Home Value Index. All data was collected on and is up to date as of July 21, 2025.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Salary Needed To Afford Texas’ Largest Cities
