Property Makler
Advanced analytics for residential real estate investing

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX housing market

Housing market indicators

Indicator	2022	2023	2024	2025*	2022	2023	2024	YTD
Median Listing Price per Square Feet	$172	$175	$174	$172	2.4%	1.7%	-0.6%	-1.1%
Active Listing Count	20,174	21,529	26,771	33,947	49.4%	6.7%	24.3%	26.8%
Median Days on Market	59	56	59	57	11.3%	-5.1%	5.4%	-3.4%
Share of listings with price increase	3.9%	2.2%	2.4%	2.3%
Share of listings with price decrease	16.2%	17.3%	17.7%	19.2%
Employees, thousands	3,345	3,430	3,479	3,454	4.8%	2.5%	1.4%	-0.7%
Permits	4,223	4,285	4,828	4,193	-38.7%	1.5%	12.7%	-13.2%

* last available value

Note: 12M MA - 12 months moving average, Permits - New Private Housing Structures Authorized by Building Permits. Source: FRED

The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) spans 10 counties: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto, and Waller.
Total population reached 7.8 million in 2024, up nearly 200,000 from prior year, marking the largest single-year gain on record.
Key geographic regions include urban core (Houston), western suburbs (Katy, Sugar Land), northern suburbs (The Woodlands, Spring), eastern suburbs (Baytown, Pasadena), and southern coastal areas (Galveston, Pearland).
Population growth rate of 2.5% in 2024 ranked second among major U.S. metros, driven by domestic migration from Dallas-Fort Worth.

Area	City/Town	Population	Density	Income	Quality of Schools	Crime Level	Property Tax (%)	Comments
Urban Core	Houston	2,412,920	3,500/sq mi	Low-Med	4-8/10	High	2.1-2.5	Diverse economy, high density, aging infrastructure
Western Suburbs	Sugar Land	109,602	2,708/sq mi	High	8-10/10	Low	2.3	Master-planned, family-oriented, tech jobs
Northern Suburbs	The Woodlands	120,000	2,200/sq mi	High	9-10/10	Very Low	2.2	Upscale, corporate HQs, green spaces
Western Suburbs	Pearland	125,000	2,900/sq mi	Med-High	7-9/10	Low-Med	2.4	Rapid growth, good commute to Houston
Northern Suburbs	Spring	65,000	3,000/sq mi	Med	6-8/10	Med	2.1	Affordable, family housing boom
Eastern Suburbs	Pasadena	150,000	4,000/sq mi	Low-Med	4-7/10	High	2.5	Refinery jobs, industrial
Southern Coastal	Galveston	53,000	1,800/sq mi	Med	5-8/10	Med	2.2	Tourism, flood risks
Western Suburbs	Katy	25,000 (core)	2,500/sq mi	High	8-10/10	Low	2.3	Explosive growth, master-planned

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Median household income across MSA: $70,000-$85,000, varying widely by suburb.
Western and northern suburbs (Sugar Land, The Woodlands): $120,000+ median, high concentration of professionals.
Urban core (Houston): $55,000 median, diverse with lower-income immigrant communities.
Bachelor's degree or higher: 35-40% MSA-wide, highest in The Woodlands (55%) and lowest in eastern suburbs (25%).
Workforce over 2.6 million, young median age of 35, diverse with large Hispanic (40%) and Black (20%) populations.
Per capita income growth steady at 4-5% annually, fueled by professional services influx.

Energy: Oil/gas dominates with 20% of jobs, headquarters for ExxonMobil, Chevron.
Healthcare: Texas Medical Center employs 120,000+, world's largest complex.
Port/Logistics: Port of Houston handles 300 million tons cargo yearly, top U.S. export port.
Aerospace: NASA Johnson Space Center, 20,000 jobs.
Manufacturing/Construction: 15% employment, boosted by population boom.
Professional Services: Growing finance, tech with 10% job share.

Zoning openness: Minimal restrictions in suburbs, allowing rapid single-family builds; Houston core has no zoning.
Regulatory strictness: Low compared to coastal U.S., fast permitting (60-90 days).
Construction workforce: Abundant, low-cost labor from immigration; wages $25-35/hr.
New supply: 40,000+ units/year, led by master-planned communities in northwest.
Land availability: Vast undeveloped acres in Fort Bend, Montgomery counties.
Challenges: Rising material costs post-2024, but offset by scale.

Net migration: +144,000/year, mostly domestic from high-cost states; Dallas inflows notable.
Growing industries: Healthcare (+3% jobs), construction (+4%), logistics (+2.5%).
Declining: Traditional oil (-1% post-price dip), shifting to renewables.
Population surge: 200,000 added in 2024, every 2.7 minutes new resident.
Affordability pull: Median home $320,000 vs. national $420,000.
Remote work: Tech professionals relocating for space, low taxes.

Flooding risks: 20% properties in floodplains, insurance up 30% post-hurricanes.
Infrastructure lag: Roads, schools strained by growth in suburbs.
Inventory shortage: 3-month supply, pushing prices 5-7% yearly.
Urban decay: Core Houston blight, high crime deters buyers.
Labor shortages: Skilled trades despite volume, delaying projects.
Interest rates: 2025 hikes slow flips, favor long-term holds.

Area	Appreciation Potential	Risk	Key Drivers
Western Suburbs (Katy, Fulshear)	High	Low	Population boom +37k in Fulshear, top schools, energy jobs
Northern Suburbs (The Woodlands, Spring)	High	Low-Med	Corporate relos, low crime, new builds 10k/year
Southern Suburbs (Pearland)	Med-High	Med	Commute access, family migration, healthcare growth
Urban Core (Houston inner)	Med	High	Revitalization projects, but crime/floods cap gains
Eastern Suburbs (Pasadena, Baytown)	Low-Med	High	Industrial jobs stable, but pollution, high crime
Coastal (Galveston)	Low	High	Tourism volatile, hurricane exposure

To view all table columns, please open this table on a laptop or desktop screen.