Side-by-side comparison of San Antonio, TX and Houston, TX — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: San Antonio has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 3.15% compared to Houston's 2.90%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $280,000 in San Antonio vs $310,000 in Houston, while rents come in at $1,420/mo and $1,520/mo respectively.
Growth & appreciation: Houston is growing faster at 1.5% annually vs San Antonio's 1.4%. Houston leads on home value appreciation at 2.8% per year.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 1.72% in San Antonio vs 1.81% in Houston. Vacancy rates of 6.8% and 6.4% are mixed — Houston has the tighter rental market.
Bottom line: San Antonio edges out Houston on most key metrics. While cap rates are moderate at 3.15%, San Antonio's overall profile is stronger. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in San Antonio or Houston.