Spring 2026 · Houston · Pathway 05
Making a Living
Economic dignity is a civic issue. Who gets paid fairly, who has benefits, who can afford to stay — these are decisions made in rooms you can enter.
Right now · Houston
What’s moving in Making a Living
Near you in Making a Living
The cost of living in Houston
$98KMedian household income
(Houston-wide)
(Houston-wide)
$1,213/moMedian 1BR rent
(Houston, ACS 2023)
(Houston, ACS 2023)
$23.33/hrHourly wage needed
to afford 1BR (40hr/wk)
to afford 1BR (40hr/wk)
Organizations in this pathway
See full neighborhood view →
Learn
Understand the system
Guides on wages, benefits, property taxes, and how economic decisions get made.
All resources →guide
Harris County Property Tax Exemptions - Apply by April 30 Deadline
Houston Public Mediaguide
Tax Planning Tips for Future Homeowners from Houston Habitat
Houston Habitat for Humanitystory
Workforce Development Success Story: From Job Seeker to Hiring Manager
BakerRipleyinteractive_article
How Property Taxes Work in Harris County
Community ExchangeConnect
Find organizations
Workforce training, credit unions, small business development.
All organizations →Show Up
Attend an event
Budget hearings, workforce board meetings, small business workshops.
All events →Go Deeper
Active policies
Legislation moving through city, county, and state bodies right now.
All policies →1 in 19working-age Houstonians
is unemployed
is unemployed
The pulse
Behind every number is a household making it work.
Unemployment is a lagging indicator. It counts who stopped looking. The real number — of people working multiple jobs, underemployed, or one bill away from a crisis — is harder to measure and harder to ignore.
Read: Harris County Property Tax Exemptions - Apply b…The bigger picture
Making a living connects to everything
Pathway
Staying Well
Job quality and healthcare access are linked. Employer benefits, workers’ comp, and the ability to take a sick day — all of it connects here.
Explore Staying Well →Pathway
Where We Live
Where you live affects your economic life. Housing costs, transit access, and property taxes are as much “making a living” issues as wages.
Explore Where We Live →