Houston: what paychecks leave after rent
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area: 3,289,720 jobs, median pay of $49,410 across all occupations, and a $1,261 one-bedroom Fair Market Rent.
The typical worker in Houston, earning the all-occupations median of $49,410, takes home about $3,490 a month after federal taxes. A one-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent would take 36% of that. The median wage is 0.98× the income needed to keep that rent at 30% of gross pay, which falls short of the guideline.
Of the 10 jobs covered here, software developers have the most room (15% of take-home on a 1BR). Fast Food and Counter Workers are the most squeezed (62%).
Census figures add context: the ACS 2020–2024 5-year median gross rent paid by all renter households in the metro was $1,430 (±$6), and median household income was $82,168 (±$590).
Rent share of take-home pay, by job
All jobs in Houston
| Job | Median pay | Take-home / mo | Hours of work | 1BR share | Left after 1BR | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | $129,440 | $8,312 | 20.3 h | 15% | $7,051 | 2.57× |
| Registered Nurse | $99,830 | $6,588 | 26.3 h | 19% | $5,327 | 1.98× |
| Accountant or Auditor | $85,090 | $5,724 | 30.8 h | 22% | $4,463 | 1.69× |
| Police Officer | $74,570 | $5,107 | 35.2 h | 25% | $3,846 | 1.48× |
| Elementary School Teacher | $64,500 | $4,500 | — h | 28% | $3,239 | 1.28× |
| Electrician | $59,180 | $4,144 | 44.3 h | 30% | $2,883 | 1.17× |
| Truck Driver | $56,840 | $3,988 | 46.1 h | 32% | $2,727 | 1.13× |
| Medical Assistant | $42,110 | $3,001 | 62.3 h | 42% | $1,740 | 0.83× |
| Retail Salesperson | $31,340 | $2,280 | 83.7 h | 55% | $1,019 | 0.62× |
| Fast Food Worker | $27,570 | $2,026 | 95.2 h | 62% | $765 | 0.55× |
HUD rent areas in this metro
| HUD FMR area | Population | 1BR | 2BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area | 6,991,922 | $1,261 | $1,497 |
| Brazoria County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area | 391,255 | $1,212 | $1,319 |
| Austin County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area | 31,170 | $817 | $1,069 |
| San Jacinto County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area | 28,441 | $1,068 | $1,163 |
HUD splits this metro into several rent areas. Highlighted is the most populous one, which this site uses for every comparison.
Sources & method
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — metropolitan areas — vintage: May 2025 estimates. File:
oesm25ma.zip, retrieved 2026-10-06. - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD USER), Fair Market Rents, FY2027 — vintage: FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). File:
FY27_FMRs.xlsx, retrieved 2026-10-05. - U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: Median gross rent (B25064) — vintage: ACS 2020–2024 5-year. File:
acsdt5y2024-b25064.dat, retrieved 2026-10-05. - U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: Median household income (B19013) — vintage: ACS 2020–2024 5-year. File:
acsdt5y2024-b19013.dat, retrieved 2026-10-05. - Internal Revenue Service, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (tax year 2026 brackets, $16,100 standard deduction) and SSA's $184,500 wage base, used for the take-home estimate.
Take-home = annual wage − 2026 federal income tax (single filer, standard deduction) − Social Security and Medicare. State and local income taxes are not deducted. Wages are May 2025 estimates; rents are HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). Full details on the methodology page. Page data last rebuilt 2026-10-06.