Goin' Green

Where to get lucky this St. Patrick's Day

For thousands of years, the Irish observed St. Patrick's Day as a religious holiday memorializing the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Lenten prohibitions were foregone in favor of an “eat, drink and be merry” philosophy.

We still follow this tradition today — what's St. Paddy’s without a corned beef, green beer, parades, and hobnobbing at the local pub? Locally, there are a number of gatherings to choose from for your St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Here are a few recommended options from a seasoned celebrant:

Kenneally’s Irish Pub is a staple in the mass of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. It's a welcoming pub where on any given day, office workers and the post-college crew hang together. More of a Chicago-style watering hole than customary Irish bar, their famous pizza rules. The place itself isn't very large, but the added outdoor tent for St. Paddy’s Day allows space for heaps of revelers.

Brian O'Neill's Irish Pub in the Village is expecting a few thousand people at its annual green shindig. The preferred location of the St. Pat's Grand Marshals, the bar is shutting down no less than two adjacent parking lots in expectation of a massive crowd. Fish ‘n chips, corned beef and cabbage will be front and center — there is no shortage of customary cuisine and free flowing Guinness.

Griff's Shenanigans Cafe and Bar is holding its 45th annual St. Patrick’s Day festival. Open at 9 a.m., various bands will play throughout day. In addition to the expected Irish fare, chicken tenders and burgers will also be served.

The Dubliner on Washington Avenue is a brilliant choice for a low-key St. Paddy's. Confident in their Irish-ness, they're bypassing an official celebration in favor of Guinness-slinging business-as-usual.

Not up for the hoopla and elbow-jabbing of an Irish pub on St. Pat's?

This year SoVino Wine Bar and Bistro and the Houston Grand Opera will offer up a little culture with a live opera performance sure to include plenty of Irish ballads. Also on the bill: Green beer, vino verde (Portuguese green wine), and light bites such as croque monsieurs and truffle popcorn.

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income analysis

Texas families need to make this much money for one parent to stay home

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

With costs to raise a child soaring over $20,000 a year in Texas, some households might decide to have one parent work while the other stays at home to raise their child.

As the cost of raising a child balloons in major cities like Houston, many families are weighing the choice between paying for child care or having one parent stay home full-time.

A recent analysis from SmartAsset determined the minimum income one parent needs to earn to support their partner staying at home to raise one child in all 50 states. In Texas — not just Houston — that amount is just under $75,000.

The study used the MIT Living Wage Calculator to compare the annual living wages needed for a household with two working adults and one child, and a household with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child. The study also calculated how much it would cost to raise a child with two working parents based on factors such as "food, housing, childcare, healthcare, transportation, incremental income taxes and other necessities."

A Texas household with one working parent would need to earn $74,734 a year to support a stay-at-home partner and a child, the report found. If two parents worked in the household, necessitating some additional costs like childcare and transportation, it would require an additional $10,504 in annual income to raise their child.

SmartAsset said the cost to raise a child in Texas in a two-working-parent household adds up to $23,587. Raising a child in Houston, however, is somewhat more affordable. A separate SmartAsset study from June 2025 determined it costs $21,868 to raise a child in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro.

In the report's ranking of states with the highest minimum income needed to support a family with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child, Texas ranked 32nd on the list.

In other states like Massachusetts, where raising a child can cost more than $40,000 a year, the report acknowledges ways families are working to reduce any financial burdens.

"This often includes considerations around who’s going to work in the household, and whether young children will require paid daycare services while parents are occupied," the report said. "With tradeoffs abound, many parents might seek to understand the minimum income needed to keep the family afloat while allowing the other parent to stay home to raise a young child."

The top 10 states with the lowest minimum income threshold to support a three-person family on one income are:

West Virginia – $68,099
Arkansas – $68,141
Mississippi – $70,242
Kentucky – $70,408
North Dakota – $70,949
Oklahoma – $71,718
Ohio – $72,114
South Dakota – $72,218
Alabama – $72,238
Nebraska – $72,966

texas income smartasset family