CostIndexUSA

Charlottesville, VA vs Houston, TX Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

≈ Equal CostVA
Charlottesville
99.1
overall index
$1,950/mo rent
TX
Houston
98.6
overall index
$1,600/mo rent

Charlottesville and Houston have nearly identical costs of living.

Category Breakdown

Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.

🏠 Housing2.3%
Charlottesville
107
Houston
104.5
🛒 Groceries+3.9%
Charlottesville
96.8
Houston
100.6
🚗 Transportation3.0%
Charlottesville
103.5
Houston
100.4
🏥 Healthcare3.1%
Charlottesville
93.7
Houston
90.8
Utilities+7.1%
Charlottesville
89
Houston
95.3

Salary Equivalency Calculator

Enter your current salary in Charlottesville to see what you'd need to earn in Houston to maintain the same purchasing power.

$
Equivalent salary in Houston, TX
$79,600
$400 less needed in Houston

Formula: salary × (98.6 ÷ 99.1) = salary × 0.9950. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

Charlottesville, VA

Median Home Price
$455,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,950
Housing Index
107
Price-to-Rent Ratio
19.4×

Houston, TX

Median Home Price
$302,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,600
Housing Index
104.5
Price-to-Rent Ratio
15.7×

Charlottesville has 2.3% lower housing costs compared to Houston.

Income & Job Market

Charlottesville, VA

Median Household Income
$92,300
Per Capita Income
$52,600
Unemployment Rate
2.3%
Population
46,553
Top Industries
EducationHealthcareTechnologyGovernmentTourism

Houston, TX

Median Household Income
$79,500
Per Capita Income
$45,300
Unemployment Rate
5.2%
Population
2,304,580
Top Industries
EnergyHealthcareAerospaceManufacturingLogistics

Affordability at a Glance

Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).

Charlottesville, VA
3.9×income-to-rent ratio

75% of income left after rent (median)

Houston, TX
4.1×income-to-rent ratio

76% of income left after rent (median)

Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.

Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.

This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.