DALLAS — It’s getting harder to afford living in Texas — even as incomes and educational attainment grow and poverty declines. Texas has long been viewed as incredibly affordable — especially compared with other large states like New York and California. The median household income during the five-year period ending in 2024 was $78,476, a 3.1% increase from the five-year period ending in 2019. The cost of renting or owning a home in Texas grew faster than incomes as the state’s housing market boomed. For the previous five-year period, that figure stood at 14.7%.