Los Angeles - CA vs Houston - TX: 2026 Housing Comparison

What this means for buyers

Los Angeles - CA is roughly 214% more expensive than Houston - TX in typical home value. Homes sit on market longer in Houston - TX (45 days vs 26), suggesting more buyer leverage there. Houston - TX sees more listings with price cuts (29.0% vs 24.4%), a sign of softening seller expectations.

Los Angeles vs Houston: what the numbers say

At today's 7.24% average 30-year rate with 20% down, the typical home would cost about $5,179 a month in principal and interest in Los Angeles and $1,651 in Houston, a gap of $3,528 a month.

Typical rent runs $2,929 in Los Angeles and $1,638 in Houston, so the mortgage payment alone is 1.8 times rent in Los Angeles and 1.0 times rent in Houston, before taxes and insurance.

Home prices are 27.0 years of rent in Los Angeles and 15.4 in Houston; the lower ratio in Houston means buying there is cheaper relative to renting.

Over the last 23 months typical values moved -0.2% in Los Angeles and -3.8% in Houston; over just the last three months the change was +0.3% in Los Angeles and -0.4% in Houston.

Homes sell for 99.9% of list price in Los Angeles and 97.3% in Houston, after 26 and 45 days on the market, with price cuts on 24% and 29% of listings. All three signs point the same way: buyers have more room to negotiate in Houston.

The number of homes for sale is down 0% on a year ago in Los Angeles and up 3% on a year ago in Houston.

Payments assume a 30-year fixed loan at the Freddie Mac weekly average rate (2026-10-29), 20% down, principal and interest only. Home values, rents and market figures are Zillow Research metro data.