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BUILT IN HOUSTON. MADE FOR EVERYONE.

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Spring 2026 · Houston · Pathway 05

Making a Living

Jobs, wages, and the decisions that decide who can stay.

Economic dignity is a civic issue. Who gets paid fairly, who has benefits, who can afford to stay — these are decisions made in rooms you can enter.

02What’s Moving

Jobs, wages, and the people changing them.

Guides, events, and stories from the Making a Living pathway.

See all resources →

Harris County Property Tax Exemptions - Apply by April 30 Deadline

Harris County Property Tax Exemptions - Apply by April 30 Deadline

Houston Public Media

Tax Planning Tips for Future Homeowners from Houston Habitat

Tax Planning Tips for Future Homeowners from Houston Habitat

Workforce Development Success Story: From Job Seeker to Hiring Manager

Workforce Development Success Story: From Job Seeker to Hiring Manager

How Property Taxes Work in Harris County

How Property Taxes Work in Harris County

1 in 4

Houston workers earns less than $15 an hour.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023

0404 / The numbers where you live

What does it cost to stay?

Enter your ZIP to see real numbers for your part of Houston.

Enter your ZIP

Or pick a neighborhood:

Default view: Houston Metro · ACS 2023

Household:

Household data wiring coming soon

$98KMedian household income per yearHouston Metro · ACS 2023

$1,213/moMedian 1BR rent in your ZIPHouston Metro · ACS 2023At your income, 30% of monthly pay is $2,453.

$23.33/hrHourly wage needed to afford 1BR40 hr/week · 30% income ruleTexas minimum wage: $7.25

See full neighborhood view →

Person completing a job application with help from a workforce advisor

Making a Living · Houston

Economic dignity is a civic issue.

Photo: Unsplash

Learn

Understand the system

Guides on wages, benefits, property taxes, and how economic decisions get made.

All resources →

Harris County Property Tax Exemptions - Apply by April 30 Deadline

Harris County Property Tax Exemptions - Apply by April 30 Deadline

Houston Public Media

Tax Planning Tips for Future Homeowners from Houston Habitat

Tax Planning Tips for Future Homeowners from Houston …

Workforce Development Success Story: From Job Seeker to Hiring Manager

Workforce Development Success Story: From Job Seeker …

Connect

Find organizations

Workforce training, credit unions, and small business development.

All organizations →

Memorial Assistance Ministries

Avenue Community Credit Union

Houston First Corporation

Houston Local Government Corp…

Houston Center for Literacy

Show Up

Attend an event

Houston First Corporation Board Meeting

Houston First Corporation

Harris Central Appraisal District Board Meeting

Harris Central Appraisal District

City Council Committee: Economic Development

Houston City Council

Budget hearings, workforce board meetings, small business workshops — rooms you can actually enter.

Go Deeper

Active policies

Legislation moving through city, county, and state bodies right now.

All policies →

Texas Vote on Farm Tax Rules Change Coming May 2026

Texas Bill to Control PFAS in Farm Products in Johnson County

HB 289: Changes to Texas Farm and Land Tax Rules

Texas Proposes Tax Break for Energy-Efficient Homes

HB 299: Limits How Much Home Values Can Rise for Taxes

1in19

Working-age Houstonians
is unemployed

Official: 5.4%

The Pulse

But that's not the whole story —

Behind every number is a household making it work.

Unemployment is a lagging indicator. It counts who stopped looking. The real number — of people working multiple jobs, underemployed, or one bill away from a crisis — is harder to measure and harder to ignore.

Estimated real hardship rate: 1 in 4Read: Harris County Property Tax Exemptions - Apply…

The bigger picture

Making a Living connects to everything

Staying Well

Job quality and healthcare access are linked. Employer benefits, workers' comp, and the ability to take a sick day — all of it connects here.

Explore Staying Well →

Where We Live

Where you live affects your economic life. Housing costs, transit access, and property taxes are as much “making a living” issues as wages.

Explore Where We Live →