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Houston, TX housing market

Houston, TX metro median sale price $333K in Jul–Sep 2026, down 0.6% year over year. Also days on market, price cuts, affordability and ZIP-code figures.

The median sale price in the Houston, TX metro is $333K over Jul–Sep 2026, down 0.6% from the same 3 months a year earlier. The decline is steeper than in most of the 383 U.S. metros Pecan Street ranks on this measure. FHFA's repeat-sales index for the metro points the other way: up 3.4% through Q2 2026.

On median sale price, Houston ($333K) ranks 3rd of the 23 Texas metros with that figure, between Dallas – Fort Worth ($389K) and College Station – Bryan ($328K). On median days on market, Houston (57 days) ranks 20th of the 25 Texas metros, between San Angelo (60 days) and Midland (57 days). On share of listings with a price cut, Houston (30%) ranks 10th of the 25 Texas metros, between Beaumont – Port Arthur (32%) and Sherman – Denison (28%).

Listings spent a median 57 days on market in Oct 2026, fewer than in most of the 385 metros. 30% of active listings carry a price cut; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is 0.8 points lower. That share is lower than in most of the 385 metros. Median asking prices sit about 5% above the median sale price. Building permits authorized 3,651 new housing units in Sep 2026.

At the 7.12% 30-year fixed rate with 20% down, principal and interest on a median-priced home come to $1,795 a month; at 28% of gross income, that takes about $77K a year. The median sale price equals about 14 years of HUD Fair Market Rent, a ratio up 4.3% from a year earlier. That ratio is lower than in most of the 373 metros. Active listings ask a median $168 per square foot; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is down 1.9%.

In eight of the 12 ZIP codes in the table below, median list prices are lower than a year earlier; four are higher. Pecan Street also compares Redfin with Zillow ZHVI in four ZIP codes, each on its own page.

Headline

Median sale price

Jul–Sep 2026

$333K

-0.6% year-over-year

How it’s calculated

Average of the last three monthly median sale prices vs. the same three months a year earlier.

Mortgage rate

Nov 4, 2026

7.12%

30-year fixed

Where it comes from

National benchmark: Optimal Blue OBMMI 30-year conforming, via FRED. An average of rates borrowers have actually locked, updated daily.

The same rate appears on every market page.

Monthly payment

Principal & interest

$1,795/mo

$77K/yr income needed

How it’s calculated

Payment — this market’s median sale price with 20% down, on a 30-year fixed loan at the rate shown. Principal and interest only — no property tax, insurance, PMI or HOA.

Income needed — that payment at 28% of gross income. A rule of thumb, not a lending decision.

How Houston compares to other U.S. metros

Home-price growth↓306th of 383
Price-to-rent↓283rd of 373
Price cuts↓273rd of 385
Days on market↓230th of 385
Asking-vs-sale gap156th of 300

Rank across the U.S. metros Pecan Street tracks, on market data alone — a higher rank means more of that measure (more price cuts, faster price growth, a wider asking-vs-sale gap, a higher price-to-rent ratio, or more days on market). The bar shows where this metro sits within that metric’s own cohort (left is more, right is less); ↑ and ↓ mark the positions furthest from the middle, and rows are ordered the same way. Metrics without data for this metro are omitted.

Affordability

Price-to-rent ratio≈ 14 +4.3% YoY
↓283rd of 373
Asking price / sq ft$168 -1.9% 3-month average vs a year earlier

Price-to-rent divides the median sale price by the annual HUD Fair Market Rent (a 3-bedroom, 40th-percentile benchmark), so it is a directional rent-vs-buy read, not a cap rate; its year-over-year change is directional in the same way. Asking price per square foot is the median across active for-sale listings (Realtor.com), as of Oct 2026. The bar under a figure places this metro among the U.S. metros we track on that measure, highest first.

Market pressure

Listings with a price cut≈ 30% -0.8 pts 3-month average vs a year earlier
↓273rd of 385
New housing units permitted3,651

The median asking price $350K runs about 5% above the median sale price $333K.

Price-cut share is the portion of active for-sale listings that have taken a price reduction (Realtor.com), as of Oct 2026. New housing units authorized by residential building permits in the metro that month — new supply in the pipeline, which counts of existing listings don't capture (US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey), as of Sep 2026. Asking is the median list price of active listings (Realtor.com, Oct 2026); sale is the headline median of recent closings (Redfin, Jul–Sep 2026) — distinct sources and windows, so the gap is a directional read, not a like-for-like difference. The bar under a figure places this metro among the U.S. metros we track on that measure, highest first.

Market facts

Price-reconciled ZIPs4 (77002, 77019, 77024, 77056)
MLS board of recordHAR
Price methodologyRedfin vs FHFA HPI · Redfin vs Zillow ZHVI by ZIP
Sale-price windowJul–Sep 2026

Recent signals

No signals flagged for this market right now.

Recent notable readings

Readings from the latest data that sit at one end of the U.S. metros Pecan Street tracks, from the nightly cross-metro comparison. They are not signal alerts.

Housing Economy

Houston · ConstructionCOPIED

Houston builders pulled 11.9% fewer single-family permits than a year earlier

Single-family building permits in the Houston metro area, by month, one line per year, units

AprJulOct2,8003,5004,2004,9005,60020252026
AprJulOct2,8003,5004,2004,9005,60020252026
2024
Chart data
Month202420252026
Dec3,8692,875—
Nov3,6302,999—
Oct4,7923,485—
Sep4,1933,3933,032
Aug4,5023,7893,117
Jul4,1314,0744,062
Jun3,9623,8234,191
May4,6104,5964,039
Apr5,4234,5964,251
Mar4,6984,7094,493
Feb4,7644,0863,841
Jan4,0324,1803,256

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey · data through September 2026

Builders in the Houston metro area pulled 43,641 single-family permits in the twelve months through September 2026, 11.9% fewer than in the twelve months before. So far in 2026, permits are running 8.0% below the same months of 2025.

Why it matters. Permits come before starts, and starts come before new homes for sale, so this is the earliest read on how much new building is planned in the Houston area. When the permit pipeline shrinks, buyers see fewer new-build options later; when it grows, sellers of existing homes face more competition from builders.

Houston · Home pricesCOPIED

Houston home prices are 3.4% higher than a year ago

Home prices in the Houston metro area, change from a year earlier, FHFA all-transactions index, quarterly, percent; shaded bars mark recessions

19801990200020102020-10%0%10%20%30%Houston
19801990200020102020-10%0%10%20%30%Houston
No changeRecession
Chart data
DateHouston
Jun 20263.4%
Mar 20261.6%
Dec 20252%
Sep 20251.8%
Jun 20251.8%
Mar 20253%
Dec 20243.8%
Sep 20243.1%
Jun 20242.3%
Mar 20244.1%
Dec 20232.6%
Sep 20233.2%
Jun 20235.5%
Mar 20237.2%
Dec 202211.9%
Sep 202215.6%
Jun 202216.9%
Mar 202217.5%
Dec 202114.1%
Sep 202111.8%
Jun 20217.9%
Mar 20214.8%
Dec 20205.1%
Sep 20204%
Jun 20204.3%
Mar 20204.5%
Dec 20194.1%
Sep 20193.6%
Jun 20193.9%
Mar 20194.1%
Dec 20183.9%
Sep 20185.3%
Jun 20184.3%
Mar 20184.4%
Dec 20174.3%
Sep 20173.2%
Jun 20174.2%
Mar 20174.5%
Dec 20164.2%
Sep 20163.9%
Jun 20163.8%
Mar 20164.4%
Dec 20155.3%
Sep 20157.2%
Jun 20159.5%
Mar 201510.3%
Dec 201411.1%
Sep 201411.7%
Jun 201410.5%
Mar 20148.9%
Dec 20138.1%
Sep 20136.5%
Jun 20135.1%
Mar 20134.4%
Dec 20123.8%
Sep 20123.4%
Jun 20123.3%
Mar 20121.6%
Dec 2011-0.8%
Sep 2011-1.4%
Jun 2011-1.9%
Mar 2011-1.4%
Dec 2010-0.2%
Sep 2010-0.4%
Jun 2010-1.2%
Mar 2010-2.1%
Dec 2009-0.2%
Sep 20090%
Jun 20091%
Mar 20092%
Dec 20081.8%
Sep 20082.7%
Jun 20082.5%
Mar 20083.9%
Dec 20074.2%
Sep 20074.2%
Jun 20075.3%
Mar 20075.3%
Dec 20065.3%
Sep 20066.3%
Jun 20066.2%
Mar 20065.5%
Dec 20055.5%
Sep 20054.4%
Jun 20054.4%
Mar 20054.4%
Dec 20044%
Sep 20044.4%
Jun 20043.6%
Mar 20043.3%
Dec 20033%
Sep 20033.4%
Jun 20034.1%
Mar 20034.7%
Dec 20024.5%
Sep 20024.1%
Jun 20024.1%
Mar 20023.9%
Dec 20016.7%
Sep 20016.4%
Jun 20016.5%
Mar 20017.1%
Dec 20005.1%
Sep 20006.2%
Jun 20007.4%
Mar 20008.3%
Dec 19998.2%
Sep 19997.7%
Jun 19997%
Mar 19995.5%
Dec 19986.7%
Sep 19986.3%
Jun 19985.4%
Mar 19985.9%
Dec 19973.4%
Sep 19973%
Jun 19972.2%
Mar 19970.3%
Dec 19961.8%
Sep 19961.5%
Jun 19962.1%
Mar 19964.3%
Dec 19952.3%
Sep 19950.7%
Jun 1995-0.2%
Mar 1995-2.5%
Dec 1994-2.2%
Sep 1994-0.3%
Jun 19940.5%
Mar 19941.8%
Dec 19932.2%
Sep 19931.6%
Jun 19932.5%
Mar 19931.5%
Dec 19922.9%
Sep 19924%
Jun 19923%
Mar 19924.5%
Dec 19913.9%
Sep 19912.5%
Jun 19913.2%
Mar 19913.3%
Dec 19902.9%
Sep 19904%
Jun 19904.6%
Mar 19906%
Dec 19896.1%
Sep 19896.1%
Jun 19895.2%
Mar 19895.5%
Dec 19885%
Sep 19881.7%
Jun 1988-2.8%
Mar 1988-6.9%
Dec 1987-7.7%
Sep 1987-9.4%
Jun 1987-8.2%
Mar 1987-5.4%
Dec 1986-3.8%
Sep 1986-1.8%
Jun 1986-1.8%
Mar 1986-5.2%
Dec 1985-9.1%
Sep 1985-9.6%
Jun 1985-7.2%
Mar 1985-5.1%
Dec 1984-5.3%
Sep 1984-2.9%
Jun 1984-4.5%
Mar 1984-4.1%
Dec 1983-0.7%
Sep 19831.4%
Jun 19830.8%
Mar 19831%
Dec 19827.1%
Sep 19828.3%
Jun 198212.1%
Mar 198218.6%
Dec 19817.8%
Sep 19817.1%
Jun 19813.5%
Mar 19811.4%
Dec 19807.9%
Sep 19805.9%
Jun 19809.5%
Mar 198010.4%
Dec 197912.8%
Sep 197917.4%
Jun 197912.6%
Mar 197915.2%
Dec 197812.8%
Sep 197814.1%
Jun 197812.5%
Mar 197816.5%
Dec 197716.8%
Sep 197710.3%
Jun 197714.4%
Mar 197716.6%

Source: FHFA house price index; recession dates from NBER · data through Q2 2026

FHFA's all-transactions index for the Houston metro area in the second quarter of 2026 was 3.4% above its level a year earlier. Since 1977, prices have risen an average of 4.2% a year. Nationally, prices were 3.0% higher than a year earlier.

Why it matters. Long-run context shows how the latest change in Houston home prices compares with the market's own history, including the recessions shaded on the chart. When appreciation slows, sellers have less room for a list price to run ahead of recent sales, and buyers feel less pressure to stretch to keep up; when it speeds up, the reverse holds: list prices can run ahead of recent sales and buyers compete harder.

Price reconciliation

amber · 4.0pp

Redfin (metro)

-0.6%

FHFA HPI · Q2 2026

+3.4%

Year-over-year home-price change from two independent methods — Redfin (sale prices over the last 3 months) and FHFA (quarterly repeat-sales index). When they diverge, the market is mid-shift; cite the figure with that in mind.

Zip-level reads

77002770197702477056

Market dispatches

Citable market dispatches for Houston → Latest dispatch: Sep 25, 2026.

More markets in TX

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ZIP-level data

ZIPMedian list priceActive listingsNew listingsPrice reductionsDays on marketHome value
77316$461K↓560↑108↑256↑64↑$416K↓
77356$400K↑544↓112↓152↓61↓$364K↓
77406$469K↑523↑84↓208↑59↑$415K↓
77433$450K↓753↑212↓260↑47↓$424K↓
77441$515K↓415↑104↑144↑54↑$514K↓
77449$286K↓448↑108↑124↓52↑$265K↓
77459$450K↓526↑112↓184↑52↓$393K↓
77469$375K↑500↑144↑248↑52↑$337K↓
77493$359K↓1,015↑240↓388↑58↑$335K↓
77494$486K↓508↑120↓144↑50$479K↓
77554$599K↓668↓84↑96↓97↓$517K↓
77583$350K↑434↑100↓148↑58↑$317K↓

ZIP figures from Realtor.com listing data; home value from Zillow ZHVI. ZIP codes shown have the most complete listing-data history and active for-sale inventory in this metro; the latest available month is shown per ZIP. Arrows show the direction of each figure against the same three months a year earlier; no arrow means the change rounds to zero or the comparison isn't available.