Houston, TX vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

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

Houston, TX vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley side by side

Metric Houston, TX San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley
Alpha Score4025
Price Momentum2650
Inventory Health293
Affordability501
Economic Strength5056
Rental Yield5019
Median Sale Price$337K
Price-to-Income8.3
Payment-to-Income51.1%
Months of Supply5
Gross Rental Yield2.6%
Overvaluation Index40

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 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Houston, TX leads — Houston, TX 50/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 1/100.
  • Price Momentum: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley leads — Houston, TX 26/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 50/100.
  • Inventory Health: Houston, TX leads — Houston, TX 29/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 3/100.
  • Economic Strength: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley leads — Houston, TX 50/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 56/100.
  • Rental Yield: Houston, TX leads — Houston, TX 50/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 19/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Houston, TX or San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley?

Houston, TX scores higher — 40 vs 25 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley more affordable?

Houston, TX is more affordable on our affordability dimension.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, Houston, TX or San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley?

San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley has stronger price momentum — 50/100 vs 26/100.

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 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley brief.