City comparison
Houston, TX is about 20 miles (30 km) from Pasadena, TX in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 21 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 Houston, TX to Pasadena, TX takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 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 150,620 in Pasadena — about 15.2× larger by population. By land area, Houston covers about 640 sq mi vs 44 sq mi for Pasadena.
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 | Houston | Pasadena | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,159/mo | 6.6% higher in Houston |
| Median home value | $235,000 | $171,600 | 36.9% higher in Houston |
| Median household income | $60,440 | $64,698 | 7.0% higher in Pasadena |
| Groceries index | 100.4 | 100.5 | ≈ equal (Pasadena slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 96.3 | 95.2 | 1.1% higher in Houston |
| Transportation index | 95.8 | 96.0 | ≈ equal (Pasadena slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 95.2 | 95.5 | ≈ equal (Pasadena 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 Houston, you'd need $99,790 in Pasadena to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston and Pasadena have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Houston, you'd need about $79,832 in Pasadena to keep the same standard of living.