HEAD TO HEAD
Houston vs Los Angeles
Houston leads Los Angeles on 3 of 5 factors — but the right pick depends on your priorities.
Houston, TX
wins 3 of 5 factors
Los Angeles, CA
wins 2 of 5 factors
Match scores, side by side
| Factor | Houston | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Affordable to buy | 90 ◆ | 44 |
| Affordable to rent | 76 ◆ | 27 |
| Climate comfort | 98 ◆ | 86 |
| Plenty of sunshine | 63 | 93 ◆ |
| Big-city amenities | 97 | 99 ◆ |
By the numbers
| Figure | Houston | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $308K | $969K |
| Typical rent | $1,639/mo | $2,909/mo |
| Average temperature | 20.4°C | 17.4°C |
| Sunshine (solar) | 4.65 kWh/m²/day | 5.65 kWh/m²/day |
| Metro size rank | #5 | #2 |
Home & rent Zillow, May 2026 · climate & sunshine NASA POWER climatology. Scores are normalised 0–100 across all metros; higher is better. A research aid, not advice.