Moving from Philadelphia, PA to Houston, TX
Philadelphia to Houston is a move of about 1,660 miles. Median rent is $1,430 a month in Houston and $1,480 in Philadelphia, and the median home is $298,000 against $351,900. Houston has no state income tax, against a flat 3.07% in Philadelphia. Property tax runs 1.61% of home value in Houston and 1.44% in Philadelphia.
Moving to Houston costs about
$340/mo
less than Philadelphia each month, renting on a $80,000 household income
Not your income? Run it on your own numbers
Worth knowing
The move pays for itself in about 11 months
Moving costs somewhere around $3,596, and Houston runs about $340 a month cheaper. After roughly 11 months you are ahead.
Philadelphia vs Houston at a glance
| Philadelphia | Houston | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $351,900 | $298,000 |
| Median rent | $1,480/mo | $1,430/mo |
| State income tax | Flat 3.07% | No state income tax |
| Property tax rate | 1.44% | 1.61% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 97 | 101 |
| Utilities | 114 | 95 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
Monthly cost of living: Philadelphia vs Houston
| Monthly | Philadelphia | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent) | $1,480 | $1,430 | -$50 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income taxBiggest factor | $205 | $0 | -$205 |
| Local income tax (state average) | $82 | None | -$82 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $92 | $92 | $0 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,775 | $1,845 | +$70 |
| Utilities | $467 | $389 | -$78 |
| Total | -$345 | ||
Cost to move from Philadelphia to Houston
$3,000 to $6,500
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $750 to $1,100, against roughly $600 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 4-day trip yourself.
Housing and everyday prices here are for the metro area. Income and sales tax are set by state law and have no metro equivalent, so those come from Pennsylvania and Texas. Compare the whole states instead to see how each metro sits against the state it is in.
Run this with your own numbers
What jobs pay in Houston, after the cost of living
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Housing and price figures are metro-area medians or averages; income and sales tax are statewide. Neither will match any particular household.