Houston, TX vs Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

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

Houston, TX vs Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue side by side

Metric Houston, TX Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue
Alpha Score3725
Price Momentum2650
Inventory Health292
Affordability556
Economic Strength1045
Rental Yield7626
Median Sale Price$337K
Price-to-Income4.26.0
Payment-to-Income24.9%36.7%
Months of Supply5
Gross Rental Yield4.9%3.4%
Overvaluation Index5040

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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Houston, TX leads — Houston, TX 55/100 vs Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 6/100.
  • Price Momentum: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue leads — Houston, TX 26/100 vs Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 50/100.
  • Inventory Health: Houston, TX leads — Houston, TX 29/100 vs Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 2/100.
  • Economic Strength: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue leads — Houston, TX 10/100 vs Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 45/100.
  • Rental Yield: Houston, TX leads — Houston, TX 76/100 vs Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 26/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Houston, TX or Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?

Houston, TX scores higher — 37 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue more affordable?

Houston, TX is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 4.2 in Houston, TX and 6.0 in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, Houston, TX or Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue brief.