Side-by-side comparison of Houston, TX and Fort Worth, TX — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: Houston has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 2.90% compared to Fort Worth's 2.80%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $310,000 in Houston vs $320,000 in Fort Worth, while rents come in at $1,520/mo and $1,520/mo respectively.
Growth & appreciation: Fort Worth is growing faster at 2.4% annually vs Houston's 1.5%. Fort Worth leads on home value appreciation at 3.2% per year. Strong population growth typically translates to sustained rental demand and long-term price support.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 1.81% in Houston vs 1.79% in Fort Worth. Vacancy rates of 6.4% and 5.5% are mixed — Fort Worth has the tighter rental market.
Bottom line: Fort Worth edges out Houston on most key metrics. While cap rates are moderate at 2.80%, Fort Worth's overall profile is stronger. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in Houston or Fort Worth.