Market guide
Best Real Estate Markets in Texas (2026): Metros Above 150,000 People
Generated from live Alpha Scores · updates automatically
LocalAlpha scores every Texas metro on a 0–100 scale that combines five housing-market forces into a single number. The table below ranks the 10 highest-scoring metros above this page's population floor — scores here run from 45 to 67. The floor is applied BEFORE the ranking, so a metro below it is left out however it scores, and 5 excluded metros currently outrank everything here. Each market links to its full breakdown.
| # | Market | Alpha Score | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abilene, TX metro areametro | 67 | Seller's |
| 2 | Amarillo, TX metro areametro | 57 | Balanced |
| 3 | El Paso, TX metro areametro | 53 | Balanced |
| 4 | Beaumont, TX metro areametro | 51 | Balanced |
| 5 | Fort Worth, TX metro areametro | 50 | Balanced |
| 6 | Longview, TX metro areametro | 48 | Balanced |
| 7 | Tyler, TX metro areametro | 48 | Balanced |
| 8 | Lubbock, TX metro areametro | 46 | Balanced |
| 9 | Midland, TX metro areametro | 46 | Balanced |
| 10 | Odessa, TX metro areametro | 45 | Balanced |
Alpha Score blends price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield. Higher = stronger overall conditions. Ranked among metros above this page's population floor.
The top 3 metros on this list, and what each one is good at
Abilene, TX metro area scores 67 out of 100, which puts it in a seller's market. Against the other top Texas metros on this list, it stands out most on price momentum at 78 — about 33 points above the average for the other 9 metros on this list with measured data. That is a comparison within this list, not against Texas as a whole. See the full breakdown for Abilene, TX metro area.
Amarillo, TX metro area scores 57 out of 100, which puts it in a balanced market. Against the other top Texas metros on this list, it stands out most on rental yield at 81 — about 24 points above the average for the other 9 metros on this list with measured data. That is a comparison within this list, not against Texas as a whole. See the full breakdown for Amarillo, TX metro area.
El Paso, TX metro area scores 53 out of 100, which puts it in a balanced market. Against the other top Texas metros on this list, it stands out most on price momentum at 78 — about 33 points above the average for the other 9 metros on this list with measured data. That is a comparison within this list, not against Texas as a whole. See the full breakdown for El Paso, TX metro area.
What is driving these Texas metros right now
Averaged across the metros on this list with measured data, the highest average is affordability at 60 out of 100 (10 metros), and the lowest is inventory health at 41 (10 metros). Both are averages over this list, not over Texas. Two states can post the same headline score on a completely different mix, which is why the breakdown matters more than the rank. On market regime, 9 are balanced, 1 is in a seller's market.
Key takeaways
- Abilene, TX metro area leads this list of Texas metros with an Alpha Score of 67.
- Across the metros on this list with measured data, the highest average is affordability (60, n=10) and the lowest is inventory health (41, n=10).
- Only metros above 150,000 population are included in this ranking, so a thin market cannot top it on a handful of sales.
- Scores update as new Redfin, Zillow, Census, BLS, QCEW, FHFA and FRED data lands — check back as markets move.
Texas real estate market questions
What is the best real estate market in Texas right now?
Abilene, TX metro area ranks first on this list of Texas metros, at 67 out of 100 on LocalAlpha's Alpha Score. The Alpha Score combines price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength and rental yield into a single 0–100 measure, recomputed as new Redfin, Zillow, Census, BLS, QCEW, FHFA and FRED data lands.
How are the best Texas real estate markets ranked?
This list ranks Texas metros by Alpha Score, a 0–100 composite of up to five housing forces: price momentum (20%), inventory health (25%), affordability (20%), economic strength (20%) and rental yield (15%) — a force we cannot measure for a market is left out and the remaining weights re-scaled, and markets with fewer than three measurable forces get no score. Only metros above a population floor of 150,000 are included in this ranking, so a thin micro-market cannot top it on a handful of sales — LocalAlpha scores those smaller markets too and the floor excludes them regardless of score; 5 of them currently outscore every metro on this list. Treat this as the ranking above the floor rather than the best of Texas. Scores are computed from public government data (the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW, the FHFA and FRED) together with market data from Redfin and Zillow, and not every input is available for every market type.
What is a good Alpha Score for a Texas metro?
On this list of the top 10 Texas metros, Alpha Scores run from 45 to 67. The Alpha Score is a 0–100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength and rental yield, computed from public government data (Census, BLS, QCEW, FHFA and FRED) together with market data from Redfin and Zillow, though not every input is available for every market type.
What is driving housing market strength in Texas?
Among the Texas metros on this list with measured data, the highest-scoring Alpha Score dimension is affordability, averaging 60 out of 100 across 10 metros, while the lowest is inventory health at 41 across 10 metros. Dimensions with no measured data, and dimensions measured in fewer than 3 of these metros, are left out rather than averaged in as a neutral placeholder. That gap is what separates Texas from states where the same headline score is built on a different mix.
Is Texas a buyer's or seller's market?
It varies by market rather than statewide. Of the 10 Texas metros on this list, 9 are balanced, 1 is in a seller's market. Market regime is derived from the same Alpha Score, so one state can hold several at once — which is why a statewide answer is usually the wrong unit.
Want the full methodology? See how the Alpha Score is calculated. To explore these markets on the map, head to Explore.
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