Residents in Texas have an easier time realizing the American Dream. This includes having the opportunity to rent or buy a place to call their own. A combination of low taxes and minimal regulations encourage the economic efficiency that keeps housing costs low but salaries high. As a consequence, the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M observes that the state’s housing market is historically among the most affordable in the nation. It scored an average affordability index value of about 20% higher than the nation as a whole from 1999 to 2014. More recently, in second quarter 2015, the Real Estate Center calculated that the state’s median income was 1.71 times higher than the income required to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced home.
Family
Womb & Board
Rising housing costs are delaying marriage and childbearing by preventing young adults from forming independent households, thereby making housing affordability a central driver of declining family formation and demographic stability. Key points: Housing affordability directly shapes whether young adults can form independent households, influencing marriage, fertility, and long-term family stability. Rising housing costs and limited...
April 2, 2026