Houston indexes 78/100 on the Class A Atlas talent index, with deepest energy talent pool in the americas.

• Talent index: 78/100 (NYC = 100 baseline).
• Corporate tax: 22.5%.
• Talent depth and rent curve are correlated — top talent markets carry top rent.

TL;DR

• Talent index: 78/100 (NYC = 100 baseline).
• Corporate tax: 22.5%.
• Talent depth and rent curve are correlated — top talent markets carry top rent.

Talent depth

Deepest energy talent pool in the Americas. Strong engineering, healthcare (Texas Medical Center), and aerospace bases. Tech and finance talent depth is limited compared to Dallas / Austin.

Cost-to-locate

Total cost of locating in Houston is the sum of rent, fit-out">fit-out, and salary delta vs. comparable markets. Use the City Comparator tool to benchmark Houston against peer cities on a single normalised view.

Key facts

Frequently asked questions

Is Houston a deep talent market for tech/finance?

Deepest energy talent pool in the Americas. Strong engineering, healthcare (Texas Medical Center), and aerospace bases. Tech and finance talent depth is limited compared to Dallas / Austin.

Editorial provenance

Reviewed by Miriam Hollander — Lead market analyst. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our methodology and editorial standards.

Primary sources for this page

• CBRE Marketview reports — CBRE
• JLL Office Insight — JLL
• Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat — Cushman & Wakefield
• Savills World Research — Savills
• Colliers Global Office Outlook — Colliers

Full sources index · Submit a correction

Related topics

• Workplace Talent Strategy — How office location, building tier, and workplace experience shape talent attraction and retention.