Houston, TX vs New York-Newark-Jersey City: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

Side-by-side Alpha Scores, affordability, momentum, supply, jobs, and rental yield · as of August 2026

Houston, TX vs New York-Newark-Jersey City side by side

Metric Houston, TX New York-Newark-Jersey City
Alpha Score3915
Price Momentum31
Inventory Health300
Affordability565
Economic Strength4049
Rental Yield417
Median Sale Price$344K
Price-to-Income4.26.2
Payment-to-Income25.4%39.0%
Months of Supply5
Gross Rental Yield5.0%3.6%
Overvaluation Index6040

Highlighted = the stronger read for that metric (supply, valuation, and payment burden are better when lower). Income/rent inputs lag annually.

How Houston, TX and New York-Newark-Jersey City compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Houston, TX leads — Houston, TX 56/100 vs New York-Newark-Jersey City 5/100.
  • Inventory Health: Houston, TX leads — Houston, TX 30/100 vs New York-Newark-Jersey City 0/100.
  • Economic Strength: New York-Newark-Jersey City leads — Houston, TX 40/100 vs New York-Newark-Jersey City 49/100.
  • Rental Yield: Houston, TX leads — Houston, TX 41/100 vs New York-Newark-Jersey City 7/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Houston, TX or New York-Newark-Jersey City?

Houston, TX scores higher — 39 vs 15 out of 100. The Alpha Score is a 0-100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield.

Is Houston, TX or New York-Newark-Jersey City more affordable?

Houston, TX is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 4.2 in Houston, TX and 6.2 in New York-Newark-Jersey City.

Want to swap in other cities, change the metrics, or chart the trend over time? Customize this comparison → in the interactive Compare tool. Or read the Houston, TX market brief and the New York-Newark-Jersey City brief.