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Here's what it takes to be middle class in Houston and more top stories

A new study shows the income range required to be considered middle class right now.

Photo by Dennis Lamberth on Unsplash

Editor's note: It's time to catch up on the top Houston news of the week, including a host of openings and what it takes to maintain middle class status in Houston this year. Catch up on our hottest headlines below, then visit this guide to plan your weekend.

1. This is the income it takes to be middle class in Houston in 2026. A new study tracking the upper and lower thresholds for middle class households has revealed Houstonians have to make at least a grand more than last year to maintain their middle class status.

2. Houston restaurateur dishes on swapping Tex-Mex for new retro steakhouse. Restaurateur Ford Fry surprised Houston diners when he announced he was closing Tex-Mex restaurant Superica and replacing it with Star Rover, a casual, family-friendly steakhouse. With Star Rover now open, Fry explains the decision.

3. Houston's 10 best neighborhood restaurants offer comfort and convenience. The time has come to celebrate the nominees for Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year in the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

Feges BBQ Erin Patrick Feges barbecue tray Feges BBQ is in the running for Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year. Photo by Robert Jacob Lerma

4. 4 Houston spots make Texas Monthly's best new restaurants of 2026 list. Texas Monthly has revealed its 10 best new restaurants for 2026, highlighting restaurants that opened between December 1, 2024, and October 31, 2025.

5. Western-inspired, family-friendly restaurant now open near the Heights. A new family-friendly restaurant has opened near the Heights. Long Weekend boasts a number of amenities, including an expansive menu, plenty of outdoor seating, and Houston’s largest outdoor play area, according to the restaurant.

Stretching the budget

A $100,000 salary in 2026 goes further in Houston than it did last year

Photo by Leo Yao on Unsplash

$100,000 stretches a little further in 2026.

A 2026 income study has good news for big earners in Houston: A six-figure salary goes further than it did last year.

A Houston resident's $100,000 salary is worth $84,840 after taxes and adjusted for the local cost of living, according to the new financial analysis from SmartAsset. That's about $1,500 more than Houstonians were bringing home last year.

The 2026 take-home pay is about eight percent higher than it was in 2024, when the same salary had an adjusted value of $78,089.

SmartAsset used its paycheck calculator to apply federal, state and local taxes to an annual salary of $100,000 in 69 of the largest American cities. The figure was then adjusted for the local cost of living (which included average costs for housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, and miscellaneous goods and services). Cities were then ranked based on where a six-figure salary is worth the least after applicable taxes and cost of living adjustments.

Houston ranked No. 60 in the overall ranking of U.S. cities where $100,000 is worth the least. If the rankings were flipped and the cities were ranked based on where $100,000 goes the furthest, that places Houston in the No. 10 spot nationwide.

Manhattan, New York remains the No. 1 city where a six-figure salary is worth the least. A Manhattan resident's take-home pay is only worth $29,420 after taxes and adjusted for the cost of living, which is 3.10 percent lower than it was in 2025.

SmartAsset determined Manhattan has a 29.7 percent effective tax rate on six-figure salaries. Meanwhile, the effective tax rate on a $100,000 salary in Texas (based on the eight cities examined in the report) is 21.1 percent. It's worth highlighting that New York implements a statewide graduated-rate income tax from 4-10.90 percent, whereas Texas is one of only eight states that don't tax residents' income.

Oklahoma City, No. 69, is the U.S. city in the report where a $100,000 salary stretches the furthest. A six-figure salary is worth $91,868 in 2026, up from $89,989 last year.

This is the post-tax value of a $100,000 salary in other Texas cities, and their ranking in the report:

Plano (No. 27): $72,653
Dallas (No. 47): $80,103
Austin (No. 53): $82,446
Lubbock (No. 59): $84,567
San Antonio (No. 62): $86,419
El Paso (No. 67): $90,276
Corpus Christi (No. 68): $91,110

According to the report, getting some "financial breathing room" by making six-figures really depends on where someone lives and what their lifestyle is. For residents living in the 42 states that levy some amount of income tax, their take-home pay dwindles further.

"And depending on how taxes are filed, reaching a $100,000 income may push a household from the 22 percent to 24 percent marginal tax bracket," the report's author wrote. "Meanwhile, locations with high costs across housing and everyday essentials may be less forgiving to a $100,000 income."

smartasset income finance six figures