What is the rental yield in Central City, Houston, Texas?

The gross yield in Central City, Houston, Texas is 11.7%. That sits alongside prices about 20% below Houston and 15% below Texas, plus a 9.2% decline over the past year. The Red Flag score is 60, and walkability is 93.

How has pricing changed in Central City over the past year?

Prices in Central City, Houston, Texas are down 9.2% over the past year. Even so, prices remain about 20% below Houston and 15% below Texas. Gross yield is 11.7%, walkability is 93, and the Red Flag score is 60.

How does Central City compare with Houston and Texas?

Central City in Houston, Texas is priced about 20% below Houston and 15% below Texas. It also has an 11.7% gross yield, walkability of 93, education in the 27th percentile, and a Red Flag score of 60.

What are the main strengths and risks in Central City, Houston, Texas?

A key strength in Central City, Houston, Texas is the 11.7% gross yield, with walkability of 93 adding convenience. The main risks are the Red Flag score of 60, prices down 9.2% over the past year, and education in the 27th percentile.

Neighborhood

Central City

Houston, Texas US

Central City in Houston, Texas offers a yield-led profile, with prices about 20% below Houston and 15% below Texas, gross yield at 11.7%, and prices down 9.2% over the past year. Walkability is 93, education is in the 27th percentile, and the Red Flag score is 60. The strongest number is the yield, while the recent price trend and lower education percentile temper the profile.

AI Summary•Updated May 2026

Area

2.15 mi²

ZIP Code

77054

County

Harris County

State

Texas

Redfin — median sale & volumeZillow ZORI — asking rentFEMA National Risk Index v1.20OpenStreetMap — POIFBI UCR — state crimeEPA — radon zonesWashU ACAG — satellite PM2.5EPA FRS / BTS — hazard screeningUS Census ACS / TIGER 2024

Verified Price · Median Sale

$134,310

YoY-9.2%

Gross Rental Yield

11.7%

Listed rent · ZORI annualized

Red Flag Index

Moderate

60 / 100

Walkability Score

Walker's Paradise

OpenStreetMap POI density · national percentile

Education Score

27 / 100

Limited · better than 27% of U.S. districts

Pre-pandemic SEDA (2018/19) · district proxy

AI Score

Good

DistrictScore attractiveness · national model

Central City Property Prices & Rental Yield

Verified Redfin sale data and Zillow ZORI asking rent for Central City, Houston.

Unlock the Central City 12-month price trend

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Market Economics Snapshot

May 2026

Metric	Value	YoY
Median Sale Price	$134,310	-9.2%
Price / Sq Ft (Verified)	$144/sqft	-0.1%
Asking Rent (Median)	$1,306/mo	-1.6%
Gross Rental Yield	11.7%	—
Liquidity Score	23 / 100	Low
Homes Sold (Period)	51	-5.6%

Is Central City Safe? Natural-Hazard Risk

FEMA National Risk Index composite across eight hazards, plus inherited Texas crime context.

Red Flag Breakdown

60 / 100

Moderate Risk

Composite is weighted by expected impact — frequent low-damage hazards (hail, wind) weigh less than flood or wildfire.

Hurricane100Very High

Flood80Very High

Tornado80Very High

Heat60High

Earthquake40Moderate

Strong Wind40Moderate

Hail40Moderate

Wildfire20Low

8/8 hazards scored · FEMA NRI v1.20

Crime (state-level): Texas averaged 24.3 crimes and 3.9 violent per 1,000 residents (-6.2% YoY) in 2024(FBI UCR). Compare the state to the country, not states as a ranking — full Safety & Crime data lives on the state page.

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Tract-level hazard heatmap & parcel detail with Pro

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See all eight FEMA hazard scores — free with a DistrictScore account.

What Stands Out AI Insight

Above-average gross rental yield at 11.7%

Highly walkable neighborhood — score 93/100

Active transaction volume — 51 homes sold last period

Hurricane risk is Very High (100/100)

Flood risk is Very High (80/100)

Insights are generated from Central City's live DistrictScore metrics.

Central City Environment & Safety

Satellite PM2.5 air-quality history, FBI UCR crime trend (Texas-level, the finest official aggregation), EPA radon potential and point-source hazard screening.

Air Quality — PM2.5

2015–2024

7.3 µg/m³ Meets EPA, above WHO guideline+27.6% since 2015

EPA 9WHO 5

20152024

Annual mean fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration at the Central City centroid, satellite-derived (ACAG). References: WHO guideline 5 µg/m³ · EPA annual standard 9 µg/m³. Latest year ranks worse than 86% of U.S. neighborhoods.

Texas Crime Trend

FBI UCR

20132024

All crimes / 1k

Violent / 1k

Year	Crimes / 1k	Violent / 1k	YoY
2024	24.3	3.9	-6.2%
2023	26.4	4.1	-1.7%
2022	27.4	4.4	+6.3%
2021	26.3	4.5	-1.8%
2020	26.9	4.5	-3.6%
2019	28.3	4.2	—

Reported at the state level — the finest official US crime aggregation; Central City inherits the Texas figures.

Radon Potential

EPA

Zone 3

Zone 3 — Lowest potential · Central City

EPA radon zones estimate indoor radon potential county-wide (Zone 1 highest, Zone 3 lowest). Testing is recommended in all zones.

Environmental Hazards

EPA / BTS

Superfund (NPL)0.1 kmVery High

Industrial odor10 nearbyVery High

Point-source screening near Central City: EPA Superfund National Priorities List & Facility Registry (2026), BTS aviation noise (2020, 24-hour average level). Superfund shows distance to the nearest listed site; odor shows detected sources within the screening radius. Only detected sources are listed; the bar shows severity vs. all U.S. neighborhoods.

Walkability & Amenities in Central City

Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.

Walkability & Amenities

OpenStreetMap POI

93

Walker's Paradise

Walkability Score

8

Grocery

24

Dining

3

Schools

11

Universities

17

Hospitals

3

Pharmacies

34

Parks

9

Rail Transit

0

Coworking

POI counts are amenities within Central City's boundary plus a 400 m walk buffer. Rail transit excludes bus stops.

Central City vs Houston vs Texas

How Central City benchmarks against its city and state medians.

Benchmark vs City & State

In Central City, the median sale price sits about 20% below the median for Houston neighborhoods and about 15% below the statewide median. Gross rental yield is 11.7%, against 5.7% for Houston neighborhoods and 5.4% statewide. Over the past 12 months, prices fell 9.2%. Transaction liquidity sits below the median for Houston neighborhoods and below the statewide median.

Area	Median / Sq Ft	Gross Yield	Liquidity
Central City	$144/sqft	11.7%	23
Houston	$180/sqft	5.7%	30
Texas	$169/sqft	5.4%	39

Unlock the Central City benchmark

Compare Central City against Houston and Texas medians — free with a DistrictScore account.

Buying Property in the US as a Foreigner

Federal & Texas tax facts for non-resident buyers, plus the latest local market news.

Buying as a Foreigner

US Tax & Ownership

Applies to everyone7

Capital Gains (Federal)

Long-term capital gains taxed federally at 0/15/20%, plus a 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax on higher incomes (2026).

Property Tax

Property tax: ~1.25% average effective rate (statewide average; set and collected locally).

State Income Tax

No state income tax — rental income is not taxed at the state level.

State Capital Gains

No state capital gains tax.

Transfer Tax

Real estate transfer tax: none statewide (local tax may apply).

Assessment Cap

Homestead assessed value capped at +10%/yr (20% for some non-homestead property, through 2026).

Mansion Tax / Rent Control

No statewide mansion tax or statewide rent control.

US citizens & tax residents8

Primary-Home Exclusion

Selling your main home: exclude up to $250k of gain (single) / $500k (married) if you owned and lived there 2 of the last 5 years.

1031 Like-Kind Exchange

A 1031 like-kind exchange defers capital gains tax on investment property; 45 days to identify, 180 to close. Real estate only.

Depreciation Recapture

Residential rentals depreciate over 27.5 years; on sale, recaptured depreciation is taxed up to 25% (Section 1250).

Mortgage Interest Deduction

Mortgage interest is deductible on up to $750k of home debt. The SALT cap rose to $40,000 for 2025-2029 (reverts to $10k in 2030).

Opportunity Zones

Opportunity Zones are now permanent (2025): reinvested capital gains get deferral plus a basis step-up, and are tax-free after 10 years.

Rental Income (Resident)

Rental income is reported on Schedule E; passive-loss rules (Section 469) limit deducting rental losses against other income.

Homestead Exemption

Homestead: unlimited protection from most creditors (acreage-limited) and a large school-tax exemption.

Senior & Veteran Exemptions

Full property-tax exemption for 100%-disabled veterans; a school-tax freeze for seniors aged 65+.

Foreign buyers (non-residents)6

FIRPTA (Foreign Sellers)

FIRPTA: the buyer withholds 15% of the gross sale price when a nonresident sells US property. It is an advance deposit, not the final tax.

Non-Resident Capital Gains

Nonresident sellers pay US capital gains tax (generally 15-20%) on the net gain via Form 1040-NR; FIRPTA withholding is credited.

Non-Resident Rental Tax

Nonresident rental income is taxed at 30% of gross by default, or on net income at graduated rates via a Section 871(d) election (W-8ECI).

Estate Tax (Non-Resident)

Nonresidents get only a $60,000 US estate-tax exemption (vs $13.99M for residents); US property above it is taxed up to 40%. Treaties may help.

ITIN Requirement

Nonresidents without an SSN need an ITIN (Form W-7) to file US tax returns, claim FIRPTA refunds, and report rental income.

Foreign Ownership Restrictions

SB 17 (Sept 2025) bars buyers tied to China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea from acquiring any real property. Verify first.

Talk to a US real-estate tax advisor

FIRPTA, ITIN & Texas property-tax guidance for foreign buyers

Latest Houston Real-Estate News

New Fed chairman may leave mortgage rates mostly unchanged

Guaranteed Rate • Jun 18, 2026

Household real estate wealth hits record $48.7 trillion

Eye On Housing • Jun 18, 2026

U.S. commercial property prices hit record as deal patterns shift

Altus Group • Jun 18, 2026

Central City Real Estate FAQ

Central City in Houston, Texas has a yield-led profile. Prices are about 20% below Houston and 15% below Texas, gross yield is 11.7%, and prices are down 9.2% over the past year. The Red Flag score is 60, with walkability of 93.

Neighborhoods near Central City

Compare Central City with nearby neighborhoods in Houston.

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