[unixbeard1337]

Houston doesn't have zoning, but does have fairly stringent land-use regulations on single-family homes (min. lot size, setbacks, etc.) See: https://marketurbanism.com/2016/09/19/how-houston-regulates-...

Houston is also surrounded by sparsely-populated countryside, rather than on three sides by water like SF, giving it more room to grow cheaply.