The Texas Metro Map: Where Homes Sell Fast, Cheap, and Slow
Austin charges the most per square foot, San Antonio takes the longest to sell, and Houston quietly offers the cheapest entry and the strongest rent-to-price — a four-metro tale of very different markets.
Austin median $/sqft vs Houston
+31%
Austin is the priciest Texas metro
$208 / sqft
The headline view
But it yields the least for investors
6.1% gross
What the data says underneath
The metro buyers pay the most per foot for is also the one that rewards landlords the least — while cheaper Houston leads on yield.
The RealtyDecode read
RealtyDecode read: In March 2026, Austin led on price ($208/sqft, $425K median) but lagged on speed (55 days) and yield (6.1% gross). San Antonio was the slowest to sell (79 days). Dallas-Fort Worth sat in the middle on every measure. Houston was the affordability and yield leader — cheapest per foot ($159) among the majors and highest gross rent-to-price. For owner-occupiers chasing value and investors chasing cash flow, Houston screens best; for appreciation bets, the pricier metros carry more risk after two soft years.
In plain English
Texas is not one housing market. We compared the four largest metros on three things buyers and investors care about: how much you pay per square foot, how long homes take to sell, and how much rent you collect relative to price. The metro that wins on price (cheapest) is not the one that wins on speed, and the priciest metro is the weakest for rental income.
01 · Metro Battles
Price per foot: Austin runs away
Austin homes sell for $208/sqft — 31% more than Houston’s $159.
On a per-square-foot basis the four metros split into tiers. Austin tops the table at $208/sqft and a $425,000 median, well ahead of Dallas-Fort Worth ($187) and the more affordable pair: San Antonio ($161) and Houston ($159). Houston remains the value entry point among the big four. Houston coverage is complete; Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas-Fort Worth reflect HAR-member listings only and understate total metro volume.
Median $/sqft sold by metro
Source: RealtyDecode analysis of HAR MLS data · Mar 2026
Most expensive
Austin · $208
$425K median
Most affordable
Houston · $159
$330K median
Austin vs Houston
+31%
per square foot
02 · Metro Battles
Speed: Houston clears fastest, San Antonio slowest
Median time to sell ranges from 35 days (Houston) to 79 days (San Antonio).
Days on market separates the metros sharply. Houston homes clear in a median 35 days and Dallas-Fort Worth in 39. Austin, despite its premium pricing, takes 55 days — and San Antonio is the laggard at 79 days, more than double Houston. A pricier market is not a faster one.
Median days on market by metro
Source: RealtyDecode analysis of HAR MLS data · Mar 2026
Fastest
Houston · 35d
median DOM
Slowest
San Antonio · 79d
median DOM
Spread
44 days
fastest vs slowest
03 · Metro Battles
Investor yield: cheaper metros pay more
Houston leads gross rent-to-price; Austin trails at ~6%.
For investors, the ranking inverts. Estimated gross rental yield — annualized median rent over median sale price — is highest in Houston and lowest in pricey Austin (≈6.1%), with Dallas-Fort Worth (≈7.5%) and San Antonio (≈6.9%) in between. This is a gross figure (before taxes, insurance, vacancy, and fees) and is not a unit-matched cap rate, so treat it directionally — but the geography of cash flow is clear: affordability and yield travel together.
Estimated gross rental yield by metro
Source: RealtyDecode analysis of HAR MLS data · gross estimate
Highest yield
Houston
gross rent-to-price
Lowest yield
Austin · 6.1%
priciest, thinnest cash flow
Caveat
Gross, not net
before tax/vacancy/fees
Was this call right? (90d)
Confirmed if
Through Q3 2026, Austin retains the highest $/sqft and lowest yield while Houston retains the fastest DOM among the majors.
Invalidated if
San Antonio DOM falls below Houston, or Austin yield rises above Dallas-Fort Worth.
How we verified every number (4 claims)
Per-metro median $/sqft, price, DOM (Mar 2026)
metro_comparison.json · metros[]
Austin +31% $/sqft vs Houston
metro_comparison.json · metros[metro=Austin].median_ppsf_sold vs metros[metro=Houston]
Per-metro gross rental yield
metro_yields.json · metros[].gross_yield_pct
Coverage caveat for non-Houston metros
metro_comparison.json · coverage_note