we're no. 1 (again)!

Blooming Houston suburb lands No. 1 ranking in best cities to live in the U.S.

The Woodlands is described as “a dynamic hometown within a natural forest. ” (Pictured here: The Woodlands Resort.)

Photo courtesy of The Woodlands Resort

The Woodlands is a two-time champion in Niche.com’s ranking of the best cities in live in the U.S.

The Houston suburb, home to more than 114,000 people, lands at No. 1 on this year’s list of the best cities to live, repeating its ranking from 2021. The Woodlands ranked second in 2020. Niche specializes in supplying data, reviews, and ratings of schools, colleges, and universities in the U.S.

In a 2021 news release about the Niche rankings, Gordy Bunch, chairman of The Woodlands Township, described his community as “a dynamic hometown within a natural forest” that is known for “its balance between man and nature.”

“The Woodlands provides premier services and activities, superior educational opportunities, is committed to public safety, has a diversity of jobs, vibrant public spaces, integrated mobility options, public activities, cultural events, and entertainment,” Bunch said. “We are a thriving business community and a place where generations from all over the world come to live, worship, work, learn, and play.”

Aside from being named the best city to live, The Woodlands ranks second on Niche’s list of the best cities to buy a house, and sixth on its lists of the cities with the best public schools and the best cities for retirees.

This year, Niche combed through data for 228 cities, as well as 18,515 towns and neighborhoods, to develop its annual rankings. Niche relies on data from sources like the U.S. Census Bureau and FBI, along with residents’ ratings.

“Whether our users are young professionals, parents with young kids, or retirees, Niche’s … rankings serve as an excellent starting point for considering a move,” says Luke Skurman, founder and CEO of Niche.

“The pandemic triggered a new set of possibilities — suddenly, many individuals and families found themselves more mobile than ever before, and in the past two years they have continued to think hard about where they really want to live,” Skurman adds. “Families wondering about an area’s school district, a major part of many relocation decisions, can also use our comprehensive school profiles and rankings to get a sense of what their child’s future school might be like.”

On the list of the best cities to live, The Woodlands is followed by:

Cambridge, Massachusetts, No. 2.
Naperville, Illinois, No. 3.
Arlington, Virginia, No. 4.
Overland Park, Kansas, No. 5.

Other than The Woodlands, the only city in the region to show up in the ranking of the best cities to live is Houston, which grabs the No. 71 spot.

What follows is a breakdown of other communities in Texas that earned places in Niche’s ranking of the best cities to live.

Dallas-Fort Worth

Plano, No. 9
Richardson, No. 12
Irving, No. 40
Denton, No. 56
Dallas, No. 80
Arlington, No. 89
Fort Worth, No. 135

Austin metro area

Austin, No. 25
Round Rock, No. 29

San Antonio metro area

San Antonio, No. 101

Elsewhere in Texas

College Station, No. 27
Lubbock, No. 72
Tyler, No. 94
Wichita Falls, No. 98
El Paso, No. 100
McAllen, No. 102
Abilene, No. 112
Amarillo, No. 122
Waco, No. 130
Corpus Christi, No. 132
Midland, No. 158
Beaumont, No. 170
Killeen, No. 189
Brownsville, No. 193

On the list of the 200 best places to live, featuring suburbs and neighborhoods, Houston’s Cinco Ranch came in at No. 83, with The Woodlands 10 spots behind. Chesterbrook, a suburb of Philadelphia, ranked first.

Other Texas suburbs and neighborhoods making the top 200 for best places to live are:

Cottonwood Creek South Richardson, No. 5. (Cottonwood Creek South also is the highest-ranked place in Texas —No. 108 — on the list of the best places to raise a family).
Height Parks (Richardson), No. 81.
Canyon Creek South (Richardson), No. 99.
Coppell (Dallas-Fort Worth), No. 102.
Alamo Heights (San Antonio), No. 162.
Old Enfield (Austin), No. 169.

Other notable Texas rankings:

Plano ranks fifth (three notches behind The Woodlands) among the best cities to buy a house, and Richardson takes the No. 9 spot.
Plano ranks ninth (three spots behind The Woodlands) on the list of the cities with the best public schools.
Arlington (No. 11) and Irving (No. 12) are the top-ranked Texas cities on the list of the most diverse cities.
Austin is the top-ranked Texas city (No. 19) on the list of the best cities for young professionals, with Plano five places behind at No. 24.
Richardson, ranked fifth nationally, is the best Texas city for retirees.
At No. 42 nationally, Plano is the healthiest city in Texas, followed by Richardson at No. 43.

lists bests rankings

Astrodome's new vision

New proposal to save the Astrodome calls for shops, restaurants, and more

Rendering courtesy of Gensler

A new plan for renovating the Astrodome has emerged.

The Houston Astrodome is both the city’s crown jewel and a rotting albatross depending on which direction you view it from. To address the ongoing problem of what to do with the facility, the Astrodome Conservancy has unveiled Vision: Astrodome, the latest bold plan to repurpose the dome by turning it into a small city-within-a-city with four inner buildings and walkable green spaces.

“Our 8th Wonder of the World is as Houston as it gets,” says Abbie J. Kamin, Houston City Councilmember from District C. “This historic protected landmark, filled with generations of memories and a legacy of iconic sports and music, is woven deeply into our hearts and our heritage. I am grateful that the Astrodome Conservancy has found a path forward to not only save the Dome but provide an economic asset Houstonians can enjoy year-round.”

Here's the vision. There will be a central event space on the dome floor. Four building will surround it, offering restaurants, retail shopping, and offices. The plan should result in 450,000 square feet of revenue generating space, all within the confines of the dome itself.

In addition, a connecting boulevard will move visitors throughout the area. This plan is based on New York City’s Highline, a raised walkway built on an old viaduct that opened in 2009 and has become a template for repurposed city architecture across the nation. Not only will the dome boulevard connect the various structures inside the dome, but also lead to the other buildings in NRG Park.

Built in 1965, the Astrodome is one of the most iconic sports stadiums still standing in the world. It was the first domed stadium, ushering in a new era of air-conditioned sports entertainment that earned it the nickname 8^th Wonder of the World. Muhammad Ali fought in the dome, it hosted Wrestlemania, the famous “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match took place there, and it was of course the longtime home of the Houston Oilers, Houston Astros, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

When it closed in 2008 (and failed to meet fire code the next year), no one quite knew what to do with it. Ken Hoffman, writing in 2019, called it “puny and old, an embarrassing, dingy public eyesore” next to the shiny new NRG Stadium. In 2013, the city held a referendum on spending $217 million to renovate the dome, which failed and seemed to doom the dome to the wrecking ball.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett started a campaign to save the dome, leading to a long and protracted discussion on what was best for the city. On the one hand, the Astrodome is a fully paid-for asset of Harris County and an iconic landmark to boot. On the other hand, no one could agree on what to do or how to pay for it. The dome waited.

In 2016, the Astrodome Conservancy was formed as a private nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing the dome. To date, they have raised $3 million toward the project, which is still a drop in the bucket when it comes to remodeling the space. Two years later, Harris County Commissioners court approved $105 million to raise the floor and turn the dome back into an event space. Progress was again halted under Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who questioned whether renovating the dome was a wise use of the county’s money. The county currently spends $150,000 to $400,000 to maintain the empty dome.

So, what will Vision: Astrodome cost and where will the conservancy get it? The answer to the first question is currently: don’t know. The answer to the second question is: don’t know, but . . .

Vision Astrodome is meant to be a “conversation starter” between the major stakeholders in NRG Park according to official press documents. That likely means the conservancy is hoping to leverage economic interest and city pride to raise the money from the Houston Texans and the rodeo. Both have a contract with the county that gives them priority at NRG Park until 2032 and are unlikely to approve anything that threatens the parking situation in the complex.

The rest will likely come from Harris County itself, paid for through taxes and hotel fees. Houston refused to foot the bill in 2013, but nostalgia may have turned the hearts of the populace since then, especially if Houston can get a first-class facility out of the deal. Until then, the dome sits as it has for 15 years, watching the city pass it by.

Rendering courtesy of Gensler

A new plan for renovating the Astrodome has emerged.

we're no. 1 (again)!

Blooming Houston suburb lands No. 1 ranking in best cities to live in the U.S.

CultureMap Emails Are AwesomeGet Houston intel delivered daily.

We will not share or sell your email address.

Astrodome's new vision

New proposal to save the Astrodome calls for shops, restaurants, and more

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
Get Houston intel delivered daily.