The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Texas For 2024


The most expensive cities in Texas are Highland Park and University Park for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

The Lone Star State is a massive place that can accommodate all walks of life. But we’ve done the research to discover which cities are the most expensive to live in Texas for 2024.

Just where are these deep pockets of extreme wealth in Texas? By and large, the places you’ll see on this list are in the southern region of the state, with many cities no farther than an hour outside of Houston or San Antonio. If you put a premium on live music, then you won’t mind paying extra to live in Austin, the city with the most live music venues per capita in the country. If you’re looking for the priciest suburb of Dallas, Addison is the spot for you. Need a beach nearby to fully enjoy your ritzy lifestyle? We recommend Galveston.

So how’d we come up with this list of pricey places? Generally speaking, places with the highest priced homes also have a higher cost of living. But the story doesn’t end there. We also looked at how much money residents of each place earn to determine how their salaries stack up against the price of a home and rent. We found that you need to earn at least $104,949/year if you want to live in the upper eschelon of Texan society.

So grab a gold-plated dish of Texas BBQ and get ready to swap investment tips with Walmart’s Alice Walton, because we’re heading to the most expensive places in Texas.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


What’s the most expensive place to live in Texas? Well, HomeSnacks crunched the numbers and discovered that Highland Park is the most expensive place to live in Texas.

Raymondville (the cheapest place to live in Texas) can show these guys how to live on a budget in the coming years. Read on for how these places had costs rise faster than inflation.

And if you already knew these places were expensive, check out some more reading about Texas and the most expensive cities in the country:

The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Texas For 2024

Highland Park, TX

Source: Wikipedia User The original uploader was Ansem27 at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 8,840
Cost Of Living Index: 237
Median Income: $249,923
Average Home Price: $2,475,526
Home Price To Income Ratio: 9.9x
More on Highland Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Highland Park is 237. The median income in Highland Park comes in at $249,923 and the average home value is $2,475,526 for 2024.

University Park, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Drumguy8800 at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 25,179
Cost Of Living Index: 215
Median Income: $250,001
Average Home Price: $2,037,260
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.1x
More on University Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in University Park is 215. The median income in University Park comes in at $250,001 and the average home value is $2,037,260 for 2024.

West University Place, TX

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 14,963
Cost Of Living Index: 193
Median Income: $250,001
Average Home Price: $1,706,657
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.8x
More on West University Place: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in West University Place is 193. The median income in West University Place comes in at $250,001 and the average home value is $1,706,657 for 2024.

Bellaire, TX

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 17,163
Cost Of Living Index: 171
Median Income: $215,636
Average Home Price: $986,454
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.6x
More on Bellaire: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Bellaire is 171. The median income in Bellaire comes in at $215,636 and the average home value is $986,454 for 2024.

Parker, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Fredlyfish4 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 5,573
Cost Of Living Index: 161
Median Income: $202,727
Average Home Price: $1,011,628
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.0x
More on Parker: Data | Crime | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Parker is 161. The median income in Parker comes in at $202,727 and the average home value is $1,011,628 for 2024.

Terrell Hills, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Tang Horseman | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 5,045
Cost Of Living Index: 153
Median Income: $199,643
Average Home Price: $840,452
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.2x
More on Terrell Hills: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Terrell Hills is 153. The median income in Terrell Hills comes in at $199,643 and the average home value is $840,452 for 2024.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 7,746
Cost Of Living Index: 152
Median Income: $205,288
Average Home Price: $1,003,546
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.9x
More on Lucas: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Lucas is 152. The median income in Lucas comes in at $205,288 and the average home value is $1,003,546 for 2024.

Southlake, TX

Source: Wikipedia User NETarrantMan | CC BY 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 30,779
Cost Of Living Index: 148
Median Income: $250,001
Average Home Price: $1,122,373
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.5x
More on Southlake: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Southlake is 148. The median income in Southlake comes in at $250,001 and the average home value is $1,122,373 for 2024.

Heath, TX

Source: Wikipedia User nthomas76207 | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 9,771
Cost Of Living Index: 148
Median Income: $211,522
Average Home Price: $701,027
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.3x
More on Heath: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Heath is 148. The median income in Heath comes in at $211,522 and the average home value is $701,027 for 2024.

Bee Cave, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Larry D. Moore | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 8,771
Cost Of Living Index: 139
Median Income: $104,949
Average Home Price: $910,939
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.7x
More on Bee Cave: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The overall cost of living in Bee Cave is 139. The median income in Bee Cave comes in at $104,949 and the average home value is $910,939 for 2024.

Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Lone Star State For 2024

Map Of The Cheapest Places To Live In Texas
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Texas are:

  1. How much money do I make?
  2. How much do I have to spend to live there?

You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.

For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.

With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 around incomes and costs. They are:

  • Overall Cost Of Living Index
  • Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
  • Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
  • Median Home Price

You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in Texas to figure out which is the most expensive.

You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.

So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 352 places in Texas that have more than 5,000 people.

The place with the highest cost of living in Texas according to the data is Highland Park. We updated this article for 2024. This article is our tenth time ranking the most expensive places to live in Texas.

Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Texas For 2024

Well, there you have it, the places in Texas that have the highest cost of living, with Highland Park ranking as the most expensive city in the Lone Star State.

The most expensive cities in Texas are Highland Park, University Park, West University Place, Bellaire, Parker, Terrell Hills, Lucas, Southlake, Heath, and Bee Cave.

Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in Texas according to the data:

  1. Raymondville
  2. San Benito
  3. Mercedes

For more Texas reading, check out:

Most Expensive Cities In Texas

Rank City Cost Of Living Population Median Income Average Home Price Home/Income Ratio
1 Highland Park 237 8,840 $249,923 $2,475,526 9.9x
2 University Park 215 25,179 $250,001 $2,037,260 8.1x
3 West University Place 193 14,963 $250,001 $1,706,657 6.8x
4 Bellaire 171 17,163 $215,636 $986,454 4.6x
5 Parker 161 5,573 $202,727 $1,011,628 5.0x
6 Terrell Hills 153 5,045 $199,643 $840,452 4.2x
7 Lucas 152 7,746 $205,288 $1,003,546 4.9x
8 Southlake 148 30,779 $250,001 $1,122,373 4.5x
9 Heath 148 9,771 $211,522 $701,027 3.3x
10 Bee Cave 139 8,771 $104,949 $910,939 8.7x
11 Alamo Heights 137 7,417 $149,332 $699,020 4.7x
12 Prosper 135 31,507 $178,224 $764,610 4.3x
13 Murphy 134 20,880 $152,847 $583,866 3.8x
14 Highland Village 133 15,883 $162,879 $568,524 3.5x
15 Colleyville 132 25,876 $196,298 $825,914 4.2x
16 Sunnyvale 131 7,873 $152,632 $638,548 4.2x
17 Frisco 128 202,075 $144,567 $650,075 4.5x
18 Addison 127 17,026 $78,153 $462,821 5.9x
19 Fairview 127 10,354 $103,219 $640,850 6.2x
20 Fair Oaks Ranch 125 9,917 $150,237 $670,180 4.5x
21 Lakeway 123 18,835 $154,118 $782,679 5.1x
22 Melissa 123 15,244 $138,465 $450,384 3.3x
23 Allen 121 105,444 $121,259 $506,564 4.2x
24 Fulshear 121 21,552 $170,602 $601,277 3.5x
25 Fate 121 19,010 $121,935 $369,189 3.0x
26 Flower Mound 120 76,630 $154,471 $582,405 3.8x
27 Plano 119 284,948 $105,679 $503,025 4.8x
28 Coppell 119 42,513 $143,817 $591,824 4.1x
29 Rockwall 117 47,859 $114,799 $440,779 3.8x
30 Trophy Club 117 13,251 $183,125 $662,834 3.6x
31 McKinney 116 196,160 $113,286 $506,871 4.5x
32 Little Elm 116 48,241 $110,218 $426,402 3.9x
33 Corinth 116 22,502 $116,083 $411,905 3.5x
34 Celina 116 21,501 $142,643 $551,707 3.9x
35 Providence Village 116 7,710 $101,654 $350,083 3.4x
36 Northlake 116 6,202 $105,962 $511,249 4.8x
37 Carrollton 114 132,284 $95,380 $410,598 4.3x
38 Richardson 114 118,063 $94,362 $436,131 4.6x
39 Sugar Land 114 110,077 $132,247 $431,661 3.3x
40 Keller 114 45,320 $162,094 $603,388 3.7x
41 Sachse 113 27,829 $127,888 $443,583 3.5x
42 Wylie 112 57,063 $109,465 $411,646 3.8x
43 Anna 112 18,585 $93,785 $352,841 3.8x
44 Bulverde 112 5,827 $107,315 $484,817 4.5x
45 Lewisville 110 125,028 $82,006 $395,721 4.8x
46 Krum 110 5,627 $105,366 $352,240 3.3x
47 The Colony 109 44,323 $106,518 $403,361 3.8x
48 Lake Dallas 109 7,682 $72,386 $339,586 4.7x
49 Aubrey 108 5,932 $93,071 $378,839 4.1x
50 Austin 107 958,202 $86,556 $533,213 6.2x
51 Denton 107 142,262 $71,921 $355,295 4.9x
52 Grapevine 107 50,763 $107,165 $517,910 4.8x
53 Cibolo 107 32,640 $116,510 $341,576 2.9x
54 Royse City 107 15,051 $114,917 $338,372 2.9x
55 Helotes 107 9,140 $124,367 $472,660 3.8x
56 Roanoke 106 9,565 $113,171 $429,441 3.8x
57 Sanger 106 9,041 $86,083 $359,629 4.2x
58 Garland 105 244,026 $71,044 $297,145 4.2x
59 Friendswood 105 40,888 $121,301 $435,930 3.6x
60 Fredericksburg 105 11,020 $56,858 $540,684 9.5x
61 Mansfield 104 73,680 $112,465 $423,311 3.8x
62 Princeton 104 18,441 $93,586 $332,177 3.5x
63 Pearland 103 124,478 $111,123 $367,684 3.3x
64 Farmers Branch 103 35,985 $88,282 $372,175 4.2x
65 College Station 102 120,451 $52,397 $333,157 6.4x
66 Cedar Hill 102 48,733 $84,132 $315,422 3.7x
67 Boerne 102 18,475 $82,982 $556,332 6.7x
68 Mont Belvieu 102 7,868 $132,010 $413,425 3.1x
69 Sherman 101 44,052 $58,020 $251,433 4.3x
70 Schertz 101 42,545 $94,173 $333,518 3.5x
71 Forney 101 25,269 $102,107 $338,581 3.3x
72 Red Oak 101 14,853 $105,309 $339,153 3.2x
73 Seabrook 101 13,558 $96,223 $346,205 3.6x
74 Tomball 101 12,630 $70,829 $352,199 5.0x
75 Jersey Village 101 7,763 $88,101 $379,447 4.3x
76 Irving 100 254,962 $76,686 $337,139 4.4x
77 Midland 100 132,490 $90,448 $290,629 3.2x
78 League City 100 113,469 $117,316 $363,433 3.1x
79 Cedar Park 100 76,344 $118,903 $489,193 4.1x
80 Leander 100 62,491 $129,684 $445,365 3.4x
81 Midlothian 100 35,460 $119,323 $443,526 3.7x
82 Buda 100 14,997 $105,378 $411,841 3.9x
83 Selma 100 11,067 $95,692 $305,330 3.2x
84 Windcrest 100 5,825 $85,984 $319,618 3.7x
85 Grand Prairie 99 197,279 $76,626 $317,988 4.1x
86 Missouri City 99 74,517 $97,211 $348,797 3.6x
87 Waxahachie 99 41,801 $80,044 $351,165 4.4x
88 Glenn Heights 99 16,445 $87,686 $330,758 3.8x
89 Manvel 99 11,265 $105,188 $413,399 3.9x
90 Nassau Bay 99 5,215 $74,542 $411,649 5.5x
91 New Braunfels 98 92,993 $85,827 $374,671 4.4x
92 North Richland Hills 98 70,114 $88,656 $360,470 4.1x
93 DeSoto 98 55,882 $81,736 $323,250 4.0x
94 Kyle 98 48,484 $85,199 $331,816 3.9x
95 Granbury 98 11,218 $65,015 $367,026 5.6x
96 Woodway 98 9,399 $111,014 $368,615 3.3x
97 Kennedale 98 8,590 $112,646 $385,086 3.4x
98 Whitehouse 98 8,512 $72,900 $282,692 3.9x
99 Dallas 97 1,300,642 $63,985 $306,310 4.8x
100 Pflugerville 97 64,528 $111,151 $402,967 3.6x
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.