What salary do you need to live in Houston, TX?
For a single person: about $62,000/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose TX-taxed take-home covers roughly $1,400 rent plus everyday essentials, with a 20% cushion for savings. Figures include 2025 federal tax, FICA, and no state income tax (Texas doesn't have one).
Single person — est. essentials $3,610/mo
Tight
take-home covers $3,610/mo
$51,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $4,332/mo
$62,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $5,415/mo
$80,500/yr
2-person household — est. essentials $4,906/mo
Tight
take-home covers $4,906/mo
$68,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $5,887/mo
$83,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $7,359/mo
$105,000/yr
3-person household — est. essentials $5,926/mo
Tight
take-home covers $5,926/mo
$83,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $7,111/mo
$101,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $8,889/mo
$128,000/yr
4-person household — est. essentials $6,828/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,828/mo
$97,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $8,194/mo
$117,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $10,242/mo
$151,000/yr
How we calculate this
Essentials = typical rent ($1,400) + a national non-housing baseline by household size ($2,450 for one person) + Texas's combined sales tax on the taxable share of that spending. We then solve for the gross salary whose after-tax take-home hits each tier. Local income taxes and property taxes aren't modeled — see the methodology.
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