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

Side-by-side Alpha Scores, affordability, momentum, supply, jobs, and rental yield · scores computed September 2026

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

Metric● Houston, TX● San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley
Alpha Score4619
Price Momentum328
Inventory Health87band 5 of 518band 5 of 5
Affordability362
Economic Strength3942
Rental Yield561
Median Sale Price (Redfin)$344K—
Months of Supply (Redfin)5—

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 36/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 2/100.
  • Price Momentum: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley leads — Houston, TX 3/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 28/100.
  • Inventory Health: Houston, TX leads — Houston, TX 87/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 18/100.
  • Economic Strength: San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley leads — Houston, TX 39/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 42/100.
  • Rental Yield: Houston, TX leads — Houston, TX 56/100 vs San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 1/100.

Frequently asked questions

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

Houston, TX scores higher — 46 vs 19 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 — 28/100 vs 3/100.

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.