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Houston ranks among 10 U.S. cities with most foreign-born homeowners

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A new study shows that immigrants play a big part in Houston's housing market.

Photo courtesy of HAR

Houstonians already enjoy the lofty status as the most diverse large city in America — not to mention the country’s second-most affordable large city. Now, the Bayou City scores high on a list of cities with the highest number of immigrant homeowners.

A new report from Lending Tree ranks Houston No. 6 among the 50 largest American cities with the most foreign-born homeowners. The list breaks down foreign-born home ownership rates, native-born home ownership rates, a foreign-born-to-total-population ratio, a total home ownership rate, and median home price. Miami tops the list, while Houston is the sole Texas city in the top 10.

Houston’s foreign-born home ownership rate comes in at 16.6 percent, compared to a native-born home ownership rate of 44.1 percent — for a total home ownership rate of 60.7 percent. (Houston’s foreign-born-to-total population ratio clocks in at 23.6 percent.) Perhaps most impressive on the Lending Tree list is Houston’s median home value, which at $192,900, is the lowest among the top 10 cities.

Elsewhere in Texas, Dallas lands at No. 12 on the list. The Big D’s foreign-born home ownership rate rate 11.7 percent, with a foreign-born-to-total-population rate of 18.7 percent. Dallas’s native-born home ownership rate comes in at 47.9 percent and its total home ownership rate is 59.7 percent. Dallas also boasts big-city value with a median home value of $214,900.

Austin, which clocks in at No. 21 overall, has a foreign-born home ownership rate of 9 percent, with a foreign-born total population rate of 15.1 percent. Austin’s native-born home ownership rate comes in at 48.7 percent with a total home ownership rate of 57.7 percent. The Capital City’s median home value is higher than Houston and Dallas, coming in at $283,600.

To determine the cities with the highest foreign-born homeownership rates and population, Lending Tree pulled data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. The Lending Tree report was inspired by a recent Census Bureau data that shows the United States has the highest proportion of immigrants since 1910.

The survey was also fueled by another study released by Oxford University and Citi Research, which found that immigrant communities contribute to growth in the economy by starting businesses, increasing the labor pool, and adding demand for housing, according to a release.

The ranking notes that cities with larger foreign-born populations and homeowners have higher home prices. (Prices for the top 10 cities average $491,750 compared with $167,560 for the bottom 10.) Lending Tree also calculated the median home values for the top cities and found that those with a higher share of homes owned by foreign-born residents tend to have higher home prices.

“This is not to say that immigrants raise home prices — rather, it’s likely that immigrants gravitate towards these cities which have higher home prices, as they also have more dynamic economies and thus more employment opportunities,” says Lending Tree chief economist Tendayi Kapfidze.

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rent affordability news

Houstonians need to make nearly $68,000 to afford rent in 2025

Photo courtesy of Dolce Midtown Apartments

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A new rental report from Zillow has revealed Houston renters need to make about 23 percent more money than they did five years ago in order to afford rent in 2025.

Zillow analysts examined the income needed to afford rent in 50 major U.S. metros, and determined rent prices in each city as of April 2025.

The average Houston renter needs to make $67,731 a year to afford living in the city, the report found. To afford rent for a single-family home, the income needed increases even further to $85,017.

Despite Houston's rising rent cost of living, it's still more affordable than many other cities. Nationally, the average income needed for someone to comfortably afford rent comes out to nearly $81,000. The study says that figure has increased nearly 35 percent since 2020.

"Housing costs have surged since pre-pandemic, with rents growing quite a bit faster than wages," said senior Zillow economist Orphe Divounguy. "This often leaves little room for other expenses, making it particularly difficult for those hoping to save for a down payment on a future home. High upfront costs are often overlooked, which can keep renters in their current homes."

Rent prices in Houston averaged $1,693 last month, which is less costly than the national average rent price of $2,024. Additionally, Houstonians are spending about 24 percent of their income on rent, while the typical American spends almost 30 percent of their income on rent.

Renters are also saving hundreds of dollars in comparison to those that own their homes, as a recent SmartAsset study discovered the median monthly housing costs for a Houston homeowner came out to $2,219.

At least we're not living on the East or West Coast, where eight U.S. metros require six-figure incomes to afford rent. Residents in San Jose, California need to make $136,532 a year to afford rent, the highest out of all 50 U.S. cities. Rent prices in San Jose came out to $3,413 in April.

Here's how much money renters need to afford living in other Texas metros, according to Zillow:

Dallas – $71,413
Austin – $68,840
San Antonio – $58,590

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