Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Conroe, TX
VS
Houston, TX
🏆 Conroe leads 12 of 21 categories
Conroe
Texas
12
wins
Cost of Living Index
100.2⚠ High
Median Household Income
$71,630 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
64 ✓ Safer
Population
92,475
Houston
Texas
9
wins
Cost of Living Index
100.2⚠ High
Median Household Income
$60,440
Violent Crime Index
302⚠ High
Population
2,296,253 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Conroe, TX
Pros
79% less violent crime than Houston
Stronger job market — unemployment is 3.2 pts lower (3.4%)
Violent crime is well below the national average (243.5 vs 380/100k)
Households earn $11,190 more per year on average
Cons
Nothing stands out — a close match here.
Houston, TX
Pros
Homes cost $28k less ($235,000 vs $262,500)
More college-educated — 35.2% hold a bachelor's or higher
Cons
Violent crime (1148.2/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Median income trails Conroe by $11,190/yr
Property crime (4293.5/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Higher unemployment (6.6% vs 3.4%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Conroe
Median Income
$11,190
$71,630 vs $60,440/yr
Conroe
Violent Crime
79% lower
243.5 vs 1148.2 per 100k
Conroe
Unemployment
3.2 pp lower
3.4% vs 6.6% unemployment
Both cities
Cost of Living
≈ Equal
Both near 100.2 on the COL index
Houston
Median Home Value
$28k less
$235,000 vs $262,500
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Conroe, TX | Houston, TX |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 100.2⚠ High | 100.2⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $262,500 | $235,000 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,255 | $1,235 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $71,630 ✓ Higher | $60,440 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.4% ✓ Lower | 6.6%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 27.6 min | 27.4 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 8.9% | 9.8% ✓ Higher |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 70 ✓ Safer | 263⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 64 ✓ Safer | 302⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 78 ✓ Safer | 204⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B (98) | B (100) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 15.3:1 ✓ Smaller | 16.1:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 32.2% | 35.2% ✓ Higher |
| High School or Higher | 86.5% ✓ Higher | 79.6% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | CONROE ISD | HOUSTON ISD |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 62.7°F | 62.8°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 94.9°F ✓ Warmer | 93.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 51.0" ✓ Drier | 55.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 92,475 | 2,296,253 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 33.5 | 33.9 ✓ Older |
| Homeownership Rate | 56.1% ✓ Higher | 42.0% |
| Under 18 | 24.3% ✓ More | 23.9% |
| Over 65 | 14.2% ✓ More | 11.6% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Conroe's cost of living index is 100.2 vs Houston's 100.2 (US average = 100).
Both have a similar overall cost of living.
Based on the 21 decided categories above, Conroe leads 12 of 21 categories. Conroe wins 12 and Houston wins 9. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Conroe to Houston or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($262,500 vs $235,000 median home), income ($71,630 vs $60,440), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Conroe, TX and Houston, TX are about 38 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.