Houston, TX vs San Jose, CA

San Jose, CA comes out ahead of Houston, TX on 30 of 45 statistics where one end is better, to 15. Houston, TX leads on Economics. San Jose, CA leads on Crime & Safety.

45 statistics with a better end, compared

Each counts once for the place that ranks better. Totals that mostly track population are left out.

Houston, TX
Wins
15
Avg. percentile
33
Categories led
1
San Jose, CA
Wins
30
Avg. percentile
47
Categories led
1

At a glance

Headline statistics, each ranked among all US cities.

StatisticHouston, TXSan Jose, CA
Population
2,419,191
4th of 477
984,378
13th of 477
Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
$64,813
276th of 434
$146,427
37th of 434
Median Home Value (Capped at $2M)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
$277,800
188th of 434
$1.23M
408th of 434
Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
19.9%
333rd of 434
8.12%
76th of 434
Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)
98.6
tied 224th of 460
110.4
tied 397th of 460
Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by City (Metro Area, BLS)
$67,610
tied 186th of 460
$119,230
tied 1st of 460
Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
$1,361
tied 215th of 434
$2,669
407th of 434
Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)
886.1
356th of 395
503.4
261st of 395

By category

Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.

  • Crime & SafetySan Jose, CA · 5 statistics
  • EconomicsHouston, TX · 14 statistics

Biggest differences

The 19 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 239 US cities.

StatisticHouston, TXSan Jose, CA
Price Level (Other Services)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)
95.6
tied 47th of 460
100.3
tied 309th of 460
Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
19.9%
333rd of 434
8.12%
76th of 434
Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
$64,813
276th of 434
$146,427
37th of 434
Median Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by City (Metro Area, BLS)
$49,410
tied 242nd of 460
$84,050
tied 1st of 460
Median Home Value (Capped at $2M)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
$277,800
188th of 434
$1.23M
408th of 434
Homes with Broadband Internet (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
90.1%
284th of 434
95.4%
65th of 434
Murder Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)
11.3
340th of 395
2.4
149th of 395
Price Level (Housing Rents)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)
104.5
tied 234th of 460
211.9
tied last of 460
Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
$1,361
tied 215th of 434
$2,669
407th of 434
Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by City (Metro Area, BLS)
$67,610
tied 186th of 460
$119,230
tied 1st of 460
Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)
98.6
tied 224th of 460
110.4
tied 397th of 460
Price Level (Utilities)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)
95.3
tied 290th of 460
156.7
tied 401st of 460
Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)
886.1
356th of 395
503.4
261st of 395
Property Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)
3,807.2
360th of 395
2,372.1
266th of 395
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher (% of Adults 25+)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
36.6%
187th of 434
47.3%
103rd of 434
Price Level (Goods)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)
100.6
tied 300th of 460
105.2
tied 374th of 460
Burglary Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)
484.6
344th of 395
336.8
292nd of 395
Motor Vehicle Theft Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)
520.3
350th of 395
518.2
347th of 395
Average Commute (Minutes)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
27.2
336th of 434
27.3
337th of 434
See every statistic they shareSearch and sort all of them, adjust for cost of living or population, or add up to two more places.

Quick answers

Which is better, Houston, TX or San Jose, CA?
San Jose, CA comes out ahead of Houston, TX on 30 of 45 statistics where one end is better, to 15. Houston, TX leads on Economics. San Jose, CA leads on Crime & Safety. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
Which has more people, Houston, TX or San Jose, CA?
Houston, TX has a population of 2,419,191 (4th of 477 US cities) and San Jose, CA has 984,378 (13th of 477).
How do Houston, TX and San Jose, CA compare on Median Household Income?
Median Household Income: Houston, TX $64,813 (276th of 434), San Jose, CA $146,427 (37th of 434) among US cities. San Jose, CA ranks better.
How do Houston, TX and San Jose, CA compare on Median Home Value (Capped at $2M)?
Median Home Value (Capped at $2M): Houston, TX $277,800 (188th of 434), San Jose, CA $1.23M (408th of 434) among US cities. Houston, TX ranks better.
Where does Houston, TX beat San Jose, CA most clearly?
Houston, TX ranks far ahead on Price Level (Other Services) (Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)): 95.6 vs 100.3; Median Home Value (Capped at $2M) (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): $277,800 vs $1.23M; Price Level (Housing Rents) (Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)): 104.5 vs 211.9.
Where does San Jose, CA beat Houston, TX most clearly?
San Jose, CA ranks far ahead on Poverty Rate (%) (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): 8.12% vs 19.9%; Median Household Income (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): $146,427 vs $64,813; Median Annual Wage, All Jobs (Average Wage by City (Metro Area, BLS)): $84,050 vs $49,410.

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