Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) vs Houston Municipal Employees Pension System
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) (B) and Houston Municipal Employees Pension System (C) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 70% and 58% respectively — within a few points of each other.
With grades this close, the comparison turns on plan-specific factors: status (active vs frozen), participant maturity, sponsor financial health, and multi-year trajectory rather than the headline composite.
Verdict
Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 66/100 (B) compared to Houston Municipal Employees Pension System at 55/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 11.9 percentage points (70.1% vs 58.2%). Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) covers 327,000 participants.
| Metric | Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) | Houston Municipal Employees Pension System |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 66/100 (B)* | 55/100 (C) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 70.1%* | 58.2% |
| Total Assets | $31.5B | $4.5B |
| Total Liabilities | $44.9B | $7.7B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $13.4B | $3.2B* |
| Participants | 327,000 | 28,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.5%* | 5.1% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | high |
| Sponsor | State of Texas | City of Houston |
Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 66/100 (B) compared to Houston Municipal Employees Pension System at 55/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 11.9 percentage points (70.1% vs 58.2%). Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) covers 327,000 participants.
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