Houston receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fresno
Houston
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 25%
vs53 · Bottom 41%
Growth
52 · Bottom 45%
vs59 · Top 38%
Climate
70 · Bottom 48%
vs75 · Top 30%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 11%
vs22 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
62 · Bottom 41%
vs69 · Top 47%
Access
90 · Bottom 16%
vs94 · Bottom 30%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 30%
vs47 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Fresno | Houston | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 545,970 | 2,328,253 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $70,991 | $64,813 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,519 | $42,430 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,710/sq mi | 3,634/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $374,800 | $277,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,421 | $1,361 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.1% | 42.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.5% | 36.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.1% | 19.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,573 | 11,337 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 4.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 69.7% | -2.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 98°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.0" | 55.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.8 min | 29.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.8 | 34.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Fresno
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.
Houston
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Fresno, CA · Houston, TX · How this is calculated: methodology