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Is Houston, PA a Good Place to Live?
Houston is a small town of 1,204 in Pennsylvania, with a median household income of $64,028 and a 3.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 94 (US average = 100), which is 6% below the national average.
Strengths: Houston stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Houston is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Houston city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 94.4Houston's overall cost of living index is 94.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Houston costs roughly 6% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Houston, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $169,400 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $882 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 61.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $64,028 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Houston is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Houston is served primarily by Chartiers-Houston SD. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.2:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Houston, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Chartiers-Houston SD | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 14.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 21.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Houston sees average highs of 36.8°F in January and 83.4°F in July, with 41.3 inches of annual precipitation and 31.9 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Houston, PA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 36.8°F |
| Average High — July | 83.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 41.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 31.9" |
Demographics
| Metric | Houston, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,204 | — |
| Median Age | 43.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.8% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 18.4 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 89.4% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 5.6% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.6% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 21.4% | 16.8% |