City comparison
Baytown, TX is about 30 miles (40 km) from Houston, TX in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 32 min 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 Baytown, TX to Houston, TX takes about 3 min, covering roughly 30 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 84,449 in Baytown — about 27.2× larger by population. By land area, Houston covers about 640 sq mi vs 41 sq mi for Baytown.
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 | Baytown | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,207/mo | $1,235/mo | 2.3% higher in Houston |
| Median home value | $162,200 | $235,000 | 44.9% higher in Houston |
| Median household income | $61,158 | $60,440 | 1.2% higher in Baytown |
| Groceries index | 100.5 | 100.4 | ≈ equal (Baytown slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 95.2 | 96.3 | 1.1% higher in Houston |
| Transportation index | 96.0 | 95.8 | ≈ equal (Baytown slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.5 | 95.2 | ≈ equal (Baytown slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Baytown, you'd need $100,070 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Baytown and Houston have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Baytown, you'd need about $80,056 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.