Slowing rolls everywhere

Houston's hometown drug: Purple Drank gets its national TV closeup

ESPN is set to expose Houston for what (I thought) everyone already knew it was: The City of Syrup. Or as it's more widely known, Purple Drank.

Green Bay Packers defensive end Johnny Jolly was caught in the Bayou City, his hometown, in July 2008 enjoying a slow ride with a cup of that purple stuff — something that I, until this week, thought all Houstonians already knew about.

Maybe it's because I grew up with local rapper Big Moe (may he rest in peace) and his albums dedicated to the stuff (2000's City of Syrup and 2002's Purple World) spun at my high school house parties, but I figured everyone was familiar with the hip hop community's favored concoction of prescription cough syrup with codeine, Sprite and, sometimes, grape Jolly Ranchers.

Ever wondered why the rap stations slow their beats late at night? It's for everybody sipping some sizzurp.

And although a codeine-laced cocktail might not be the best recreational habit during training season, I'd venture to say it's one of the more harmless drugs on the market. Still, it got Jolly a second-degree felony drug charge.

An ESPN release says the network, will examine the "use of the drug-laced drink and the social and cultural phenomenon associated with it." The sports network spent several days filming in Houston for the report. The Outside the Lines report airs 8 a.m. Sunday on ESPN2.

If you were previously unfamiliar, these classic Houston rap songs should acquaint you with our city's well-loved Purple Drank.

"Purple World" by Big Moe, D-Gotti, D-Reck, Dirty $ and Tyte Eyez

"Purple Stuff" by Big Moe, Big Pokey, D-Gotti Project Pat and Ronnie Spencer

"Flossin" by Mike Jones

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in this economy?

This is the salary you need to live comfortably in Houston in 2026

money, salary, income to live comfortably, SmartAsset

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

Single Houstonians need to make a little more than $82,000 to live comfortably in the city, the report found.

A 2026 report analyzing how much it costs to live "in sustainable comfort" in the biggest U.S. cities has found Houston residents have the 11th lowest salary requirement to live a comfortable life in 2026.

SmartAsset's annual report found single adult residents in Houston need to make $89,981 a year to qualify as "financially stable." Compared to last year, single Houstonians needed to make $83 more to live comfortably in the city.

Families with two working parents and two children need to make a household income of $204,672 to have a financially stable life in Houston, the report found. That's almost $2,000 less than what families needed to make last year.

To determine the rankings, SmartAsset's analysts examined 100 of the largest U.S. cities and used the latest cost of living data – such as the costs for housing, food, transportation, and income taxes where applicable – from the MIT Living Wage Calculator for childless individuals and for two working adults with two children.

For the purpose of the study, the 50/30/20 budgeting strategy was used to determine "comfortable lifestyle" costs for both individuals and families: 50 percent of income to cover needs and living expenses, 30 percent for "wants," and 20 percent for savings or paying down debt.

Here's breakdown of a Houston resident's comfortable lifestyle based on SmartAsset's findings:

$44,991 dedicated to needs and living expenses
$26,994 dedicated to wants
$17,996 dedicated to savings or debt repayment

This is SmartAsset's interpretation of a comfortable lifestyle for families of four:

$102,336 dedicated to needs and living expenses
$61,402 dedicated to wants
$40,934 dedicated to savings or debt repayment

SmartAsset said single individuals and families should compare the fluctuating local cost of living and their long-term goals to fully "understand the context" of their respective household incomes. But it's worth pointing out that a financially stable life in Houston isn't quite attainable for many residents: The city had a median household income of $64,361 in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Comfortable salaries in other Texas cities
Elsewhere in Texas, the report found that families in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs Frisco and McKinney "are closest to a comfortable salary."

"In Frisco, [Texas], the median household earns $145,444 – substantially higher than the national median of $83,730," the report's author wrote. "This figure also accounts for 63.1 percent of the $230,464 income a family of four in Frisco needs to live comfortably. In McKinney, TX, the $124,177 median household income accounts for 53.9 percent of the $230,464 needed."

Both cities also tied with Plano for the 29th highest salary needed nationally to live comfortably in 2026. Single adults living in these cities need to make $109,242 a year to live a financially stable life this year.

On the opposite end, San Antonio has the lowest salaries needed to live comfortably in the U.S. Single adults only need to make $83,242 a year, and $192,608 for families of four.

cost of living reports salaries smartasset money

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in this economy?

This is the salary you need to live comfortably in Houston in 2026