Houston, Texas has been voted #1 Place to Live by Kiplingers Personal Finance, June 2008.
The cities that made the list also represent larger surrounding areas, such as The Woodlands, a mere 30 minutes from downtown Houston.
Cost of living was the highest priority in this process. Other factors included population growth, percentage of workforce in the creative class, income growth, median growth and cost of living to choose the "Best Cities for 2008."
Houston's housing costs are 26 percent below the average, and its overall living costs are 13 percent below the average.
This means that your dollar has a much higher buying power than in virtually any other city in the country.
Consider:
- The average price for a new single-family detached home of 2,400 square-feet (four bedrooms, two baths, living room, dining and family rooms and attached two-car garage) was $215,989 in the first quarter of 2008.
- The U.S, Bureau of Economic Analysis puts Houston average household after-tax income in 2006 at $50,250, 3.6 percent above the national average and 10.6 percent above the Texas average.
- In the first quarter of 2008, Houston's average apartment rent was $.858 per square foot per month.
In May, 2008, the unemployment rate in the nation's sixth largest metropolitan area was a measly 3.8 percent. In the past year, Houston-based companies, which include 26 Fortune 500 firms (second only to New York City), added 71,000 jobs to their payrolls.
Houston has more than 650 city and county parks with all sorts of amenities including walking trails, playgrounds, pools, dog parks and community centers.
Home of the 2005 National League Champion Houston Astros, the NFL's Houston Texans, two-time NBA champion Houston Rockets, four-time WNBA champion Houston Comets, and the 2006 MLS Cup Champion Houston Dynamo soccer team.
One of only six American cities with resident professional companies in all four major performing arts: ballet, opera, theater and symphony - second only to New York City in number of theater seats (10,000) in a concentrated downtown area.
Houston is a shopper's paradise. From the glorious Galleria mall with high-end boutiques and quality national chains to the funky shops in Montrose and the Heights, you'll find something for every taste here in Houston. At the Galleria, a high-end shopping oasis, Bridgette Bottone, manager of the De Beers store, notes, "We're still selling the big guys": three-carat-plus diamonds that retail for more than $50,000.
Whether you choose high-rise living, an apartment community or a brand new home in Houston's suburbs, you have thousands of real estate options to suit your tastes and your budget.
Speaking of budget, Houston has one of the lowest costs of living anywhere in the country. Houston's housing costs in cities of more than two million people are 44 percent below the national average. Its cost of living costs are 23 percent below the average.
Houston's weather is a fantastic mix of sunshine and more sunshine. The region averages 59% of possible sunshine annually, ranging from 45% in January to 70% in July. The average annual temperature 69.9 degrees, with highs in the summer averaging 84 degrees and winter lows averaging about 50 degrees.
Looking to buy a house or sell your home? Contact Pippa MAC, ReMax REALTOR for more information on homes for sale in The Woodlands.
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