DALLAS — It’s getting harder to afford living in Texas — even as incomes and educational attainment grow and poverty declines.
Despite the state’s robust economic growth since the start of the decade, incomes in Texas haven’t kept pace with the nation at large, U.S. Census Bureau data released Thursday show. And the state’s housing costs have outpaced income growth, leaving a greater share of Texas renters and homeowners spending a bigger chunk of their pay to keep a roof over their heads than they did before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Texas has long been viewed as incredibly affordable — especially compared with other large states like New York and California. Though housing here remains cheaper than in those places, that affordability has eroded in recent years amid the state’s economic growth.
