City comparison
Houston, TX versus St Paul, MN is a real move, not a trivia matchup. This comparison uses the same 2026 neighborhood report data we publish on each city page — typical rent, median household income, crime indexes, school composites, and typical weather — so you can see which city actually fits how you live, work, and spend. Typical rents sit near $1,260 a month in Houston and $1,232 in St Paul, and median household income lands at $60,440 versus $72,400. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.
St Paul takes affordability, job market, safety, and weather. The widest gap is crime index, where St Paul leads by 28% — the kind of spread you feel in a monthly budget or a nightly walk, not just on a chart. Read the category rows as a filter: if cheaper housing would change your life more than a stronger job market, weight rent first. If you are moving with kids, weight schools and crime. If you picked a city after one good weekend, use the weather and income rows to test whether that weekend survives a full year.
Numbers below are citywide, not a guarantee about the street you will actually live on. Two ZIP codes in Houston can feel further apart than Houston and St Paul do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Houston and St Paul reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Houston, TX
St Paul, MN
Rent
2% cheaper
St Paul rent is 2% cheaper than Houston
Houston
$1,260/mo
St Paul
Winner$1,232/mo
Typical rent runs $1,232 a month in St Paul versus $1,260 in Houston, so St Paul is 2% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $28, or $336 a year — noticeable, but rent alone should not pick the city. Use this as a tie-breaker after you compare income, schools, and crime, unless you are already stretching every dollar.
Median income
20% higher
St Paul's median income is 20% higher than Houston
Houston
$60,440
St Paul
Winner$72,400
Median household income is $72,400 in St Paul versus $60,440 in Houston, so typical pay runs 20% higher in St Paul — about $11,960 more household income a year. Higher median income usually signals a stronger local job market and better negotiating leverage on salary. Remote workers should weigh this against cost of living rather than treating it as a direct personal benefit. For people who will actually work in town, St Paul is the stronger labor market on paper. Houston can still win if housing is cheap enough to offset the weaker median or if your specific role already pays well there.
Crime index
28% lower crime
St Paul's crime index is 28% lower than Houston
Houston
109 (100 = avg)
St Paul
Winner78 (100 = avg)
St Paul's crime index is 78 versus 109 in Houston (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 28% lower in St Paul. That gap is meaningful day-to-day — it affects whether you feel comfortable walking at night, leaving your car on the street, or letting kids play outside unsupervised. Indexes still compress a lot of reality: a calmer city has blocks you would skip, and a higher-crime city has streets that feel neighborly at 10 p.m. On the everyday test of walking from the car to the door, St Paul is the easier city. Houston can still work if you pick the right pocket — just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
School scores
Neck and neck
Houston and St Paul are about even on school scores.
Houston
A- · 84/100
St Paul
A- · 84/100
School composites are effectively even (A- in Houston, A- in St Paul). For families with kids this is a warning if you assumed one city was obviously better — at this range the campus, not the city name, decides it. Tour the zoned elementary you would actually use.
Typical weather
4% more comfortable
St Paul weather is 4% more comfortable than Houston
Houston
90°F typical
St Paul
WinnerComfort 52/100
St Paul scores 4% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Houston reads as hot, long summers; St Paul reads as a mixed climate. The comfort edge is real but not a personality transplant. If you already know you want Houston's season, a modest index lead should not talk you out of it. If you are undecided, St Paul is the city where the forecast fights you less.
Fit check
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to Houston
On these five categories St Paul takes the scoreboard, so you should not choose Houston because the stats are kinder — they are not. Choose Houston only if a job offer, family, a specific neighborhood, or a life you already started there outweighs the box score. Plenty of good moves ignore the aggregate; just do it on purpose.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside plus year-round outdoor access
St Paul is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 2% cheaper here at about $1,232 a month. Choose St Paul if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
It is also a match for career-focused movers who want salary upside and year-round outdoor access. Median household income runs 20% higher ($72,400), and typical weather is the more comfortable of the two — closer to a livable outdoor day. That pairing is for people who will work hard and then actually use the evenings.
St Paul is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 28% lower than Houston (78 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Bottom line
If safety is your priority, St Paul is the clear choice.
If the job market matters more to you, St Paul pulls ahead.
For most movers comparing these two cities, St Paul offers the better overall package.
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