City comparison
Allen, TX is about 250 miles (400 km) from Houston, TX in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 300 miles, or about 5 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Allen, TX to Houston, TX takes about 29 min, covering roughly 250 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Houston has a population of 2,296,253, vs 105,444 in Allen — about 21.8× larger by population. By land area, Houston covers about 640 sq mi vs 26 sq mi for Allen.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Allen | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,747/mo | $1,235/mo | 41.5% higher in Allen |
| Median home value | $390,200 | $235,000 | 66.0% higher in Allen |
| Median household income | $121,259 | $60,440 | 100.6% higher in Allen |
| Groceries index | 102.5 | 100.4 | 2.1% higher in Allen |
| Utilities index | 91.1 | 96.3 | 5.7% higher in Houston |
| Transportation index | 99.8 | 95.8 | 4.2% higher in Allen |
| Healthcare index | 99.2 | 95.2 | 4.3% higher in Allen |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Allen, you'd need $92,718 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 7.3% cheaper overall than Allen, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 15% higher in Allen than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Allen, you'd need about $74,174 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.