Bayou Bonanza

Partying starts early, goes late for official opening of $58 million Buffalo Bayou Park

There could not have been a more perfect day for the official ribbon cutting at Buffalo Bayou Park than that which welcomed thousands of visitors on Saturday. Ribbon ceremonies with the mayor began early afternoon with activities continuing throughout the day with the big event launching just after sunset.

With the boom of drums by Batala, an international Brazilian percussion group, Nancy and Rich Kinder, the park's major benefactors, cut the ribbon that was held by dignitaries including project director Guy Hagstette, Buffalo Bayou Partnership president Anne Olson, Mayor Annise Parker, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Houston City Council member Ellen Cohen.

And with that the 160-acre, $58 million park — a public-private partnership led by Buffalo Bayou Partnership, the City of Houston through the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, the Harris County Flood Control District and the Kinder Foundation — was officially open for business.

Following speeches and special thanks to Mike Talbott of the Harris County Flood Control District, Bob Eury of the Downtown Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ #3 and Joe Turner, Houston Parks and Recreation Department head, the activity spread throughout the park.

Thousands of visitors joined the festivities that included food trucks, canoeing and live music at the Hobby Family Pavilion while at Eleanor Tinsely Park there was more music, kids' crafts and live music.

The spectacular part of the celebration began around 8 pm when 250 volunteers carried illuminated lanterns in the "Confluence: A Journey in Five Movements" procession around the park, led by the Batala drum group and the Free Radicals brass band.

Canoing was part of the Saturday fun at Buffalo Bayou Park.

News, Shelby, Buffalo Bayou Park opening, Oct. 2015, canoes

Photo by Katya Horner

Canoing was part of the Saturday fun at Buffalo Bayou Park.

nature preservation

better than last year

Texas struggles as one of the 15 worst states to live in 2026

Photo by Vik Chan on Unsplash

Livability apparently isn't Texas' strong suit, according to the study.

After earning its worst-ever ranking last year, Texas has improved couple of spots on an evaluation of the best states to live, but it's still at the bottom of the pack.

Each year, WalletHub's analysts compare all 50 states using 51 livability metrics to measure their affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety. Factors that were weighed include the cost of living, homeownership rates, population and income growth rates, wealth gaps, public school system quality, road quality, crime rates, and many others.

The Lone Star State landed at No. 36 in 2026, making it the 15th worth state to live right now. That's on par with its 2024 ranking, and it's a two-spot improvement over its 2025 performance.

While Texas residents can brag about living in a state with the No. 1 highest number of restaurants per capita and the 7th best quality of life in the country, that's about it. Texas earned middling-to-poor scores among the four remaining livability rankings: safety (No. 33), affordability (No. 35), economy (No. 37), and education and health (No. 40).

Here's how Texas fared in other nationwide rankings in the study:

No. 27 – Income Growth
No. 30 – Housing Costs
No. 39 – Percentage of Population in Poverty
No. 42 – Percentage of Adults in Fair or Poor Health
No. 46 – Homeownership Rate
No. 49 – Percentage of Population Aged 25 and Older with a High School Diploma or Higher
No. 48 – Average Weekly Work Hours
No. 50 – Percentage of Insured Population

Texas has a lot of work to do to improve its livability for all of its residents, but especially for women, according to several other 2026 WalletHub studies. Texas is the fourth-worst state for women, the ninth-worst state for working mothers, and the seventh-worst place to have a baby based on limited access to maternal and pediatric healthcare.

But the very worst states to live prove that life could be much worse. New Mexico ranks 50th overall, with Louisiana (No. 49), Mississippi (No. 48), Alaska (No. 47), and Arkansas (No. 46) rounding out the bottom of the list.

After holding on as the No. 1 best state to live for a few years in a row, Massachusetts now ranks No. 4 and was overtaken by Idaho (No. 1), New Jersey (No. 2), and Wisconsin (No. 3). New Hampshire rounds out the top five best states to live.

WalletHub's top 10 best states to live in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Idaho
No. 2 – New Jersey
No. 3 – Wisconsin
No. 4 – Massachusetts
No. 5 – New Hampshire
No. 6 – Wyoming
No. 7 – Utah
No. 8 – Minnesota
No. 9 – Pennsylvania
No. 10 – Florida

wallethub texas reports