About Houston, TX

Thinking about making the move to Houston? There's a lot to consider. What's the weather like in Houston? What things are Houston most known for and how does that match with your interests? How much is the cost of living? What's the culture like? We've compiled all of this information for you in order to give you a sense of what life is like in Houston year round, and also made it easy for you to compare against other cities that you might be considering.

About Houston - "Bayou City"

One of the most rapidly growing cities in the United States, Houston is becoming a popular destination to move to due to its comparably high wages and relatively low cost of living. 26 Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Houston and according to Forbes, Houston actually has the best national average pay in America. The local Houston economy is strong, and the city is a major job creator.

It also helps that Texas doesn't have an income tax on those high salaries. Combined with low home prices and other costs of living, Houston residents find themselves with more money to burn. Unfortunately, however, some of those dollars go to the high property taxes.

Many people are familiar with Houston due to its role in space exploration. The city is home to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, as well as America's astronaut corps, which is where astronauts are trained. Houston is also home to Mission Control for manned spaceflight expeditions.

Anyone who loves to learn will have plenty of opportunities to learn about more than just space. The Museum of Natural Science, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Art Car Museum, the Children's Museum, the Weather Museum, and the Holocaust Museum are among the most popular.

The New York Times has cited Houston as "one of the most exciting places in the country to eat." Want to enjoy some of the city's best? Houston Culinary Tours make it easy to explore the many great bites.

The food, art scene, and nightlife makes Houston a lively city as well, attracting a younger population with a median age of 33 years old. The folks around Houston are also known for being very friendly and diverse. The city's population is also the most ethnically and racially diverse of any large-metro area in the U.S. This results in a huge number of ethnic restaurants and exotic festivals around town.

More of an outdoor type? With over 50,000 acres of parks, Houston trails only San Diego and Dallas in terms of acreage per capita. The island city of Galveston is also located just a half hour away. It makes for a great escape from the busy city, offering beautiful beaches, amazing oysters, and some great piers.

Texas has relatively lax gun laws, so don't be surprised if you see some people carrying one.

Houston is home to the Texas Medical Center which is one of the largest medical centers in the world. It is comprised of 21 different hospitals, 8 academic research facilities, and 50 other organizations. The Medical Center is actually larger than downtown Dallas!

Getting around Houston can be a bit tricky if you don't own a car. Houston is huge, and its public transportation system is pretty weak compared to other large cities. But on the road, traffic is notoriously bad as well.

Still, the affordable housing and living costs combined with beautiful parks, great dining, and an overall strong arts and culture scene, make Houston a good place to live.