Relocation

People move to Houston for many different reasons: Some, like my stepfather, come for the promise of warm weather year-­round. Others come for job opportunities in aerospace, architecture, medicine, law, business, education, or the arts. Many choose Houston for the low cost of living, the good quality of life, and the countless cultural, social, and culinary offerings. Others come because they already have family here, or because they’ve heard this is a good place to raise a family. And more than a few come here to get an education and never leave.

No matter why you’ve decided to move—or are thinking about moving—to Houston, chances are you’ll find your niche in this city of millions of opportunities and people.

You’re also likely to see why Houston topped Kiplinger’s 2008 list of the “Best Cities to Live, Work and Play.”

Overview

From an economic standpoint, Houston is about as good as it gets. The city’s cost of living index is 89.4—well below the national average of 100 and the lowest of 27 metropolitan areas with more than 2 million residents. Between April 2010 and April 2011, the city’s energy, health-­care, and technology sectors helped create 51,000 new jobs—more than any other city in the country except Dallas. Those new hires had their choice of affordable housing—some new, some old, almost all significantly less expensive than comparable homes in other cities of Houston’s size.

While Houston hasn’t entirely escaped the economic struggles of recent years, it has weathered the storm far better than most of the country. And recession or not, there’s no state income tax here in Texas.

Houston is also committed to providing residents a great quality of life. In the last decade, the city has given downtown the most magnificent of makeovers, building a serene urban park, new sports stadiums, and a light-­rail system. New restaurants, clubs, hotels, and residential developments have been quick to move in and make downtown a place where Houstonians want to spend their time.

The city isn’t stopping here, though: In the next few years, Houston will be adding more light-­rail lines, making it even easier to get around downtown. Elsewhere in the city, you’ll find all of those other things that make for a good life: quality primary and secondary schools, world-­class colleges and universities, some of the best health-­care facilities in the world, great grocery stores and farmers’ markets, festivals, shops, live music, restaurants, parks, and playgrounds.

Your quality of life depends on more than just finding the right city. You also have to live in the right place in that city—a place that caters to your needs, wants, and pocketbook. So where should you live in Houston? The metropolitan area is filled with dozens of neighborhoods, subdivisions, and suburbs that continue to expand along with Greater Houston’s population, which has grown nearly 26 percent since 2000.