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    no. 1 zip code

    Idyllic Houston suburb declared No. 1 city to live in the U.S.

    John Egan
    Mar 15, 2021 | 11:55 am
    Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival
    The Woodlands has been named the best city to live in America.
    Photo courtesy of The Woodlands Arts Council

    The Woodlands, the 28,000-acre, master-planned community north of Houston, has moved up Niche’s list of the best cities in America in the past couple of years. Now, for the first time ever, it holds the top spot.

    Niche, an online platform that helps people choose schools and places to live, announced March 15 that The Woodlands appears at No. 1 on its 2021 list of theBest Cities to Live in America. The Woodlands ranked second last year and fourth in 2019.

    Niche generates the rankings by combing through data from the U.S. Census Bureau, FBI, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and sifts through millions of reviews from residents. Among the ranking factors that Niche considers are affordability, housing market, neighborhood diversity, public schools, and walkability.

    Overall, The Woodlands earns an A+ from Niche, with the community scoring an A+ for public schools, family friendliness, and jobs; an A- for outdoor activities, housing, and diversity; an A for health and fitness; a B+ for nightlife and weather; a B for commuting; and a B- for cost of living.

    “The Woodlands is an ideal place for a family with children, with good schools and plenty of activities for them to do without having to go into Houston,” a five-star Niche review says.

    “Most peaceful place to live and work,” another five-star Niche review says of The Woodlands. “Friendly people, beautiful homes, amazing schools, lots of places to go.”

    Niche previously ranked The Woodlands second among the best cities to buy a home and the best cities to raise a family, and sixth for best public schools.

    Established in 1974, The Woodlands features almost 2,200 employers, nearly 34,500 single-family homes, 148 parks, 22 miles of hike-and-bike trails, more than 30 public and private schools, and over 40 places of worship. The community contains 24 million square feet of office, retail, restaurant, and hotel space.

    The Woodlands was home to an estimated 118,000 residents in 2019, and the population is projected to rise to 124,600 in 2024.

    Two other Texas cities show up in this year’s top 20: Plano (No. 7) and Richardson (No. 12).

    Plano receives an overall A+ from Niche. It earns an A+ for family friendliness, jobs, and diversity; an A for nightlife, and health and fitness; an A- for housing; a B+ for weather; a B for commuting; a B- for cost of living and outdoor activities; and a C+ for crime and safety. It lands at No. 4 on Niche’s list of the best places in the U.S. to buy a home.

    “What a great place to live. Plano is filled with stuff to do, great jobs, great parks, and great people. The schools are pretty good, the location is perfect, and the community is wonderful,” a five-star review on Niche says.

    Richardson also scores an overall A+ from Niche. It earns an A+ for family friendliness and diversity; an A for public schools, nightlife, and health and fitness; an A- for jobs; a B+ for housing, weather, and commuting; a B for outdoor activities; a B- for cost of living; and a C+ for crime and safety. It ranks fifth on Niche’s list of the best places to retire in the U.S. and seventh among the best cities to buy a house.

    “Richardson is a great Dallas suburb that has been a great home for my family and I,” a five-star review on Niche says. “We moved here almost 4 years ago and have had the greatest experience possible!”

    rankings
    news/city-life

    This Week's Hot Headlines

    Houston billionaire ranks among top U.S. landowners and more popular stories

    CultureMap Staff
    Jun 14, 2025 | 11:01 am
    HMNS Great Outdoors Gala 2022 Russell and Glenda Gordy and Red FJ Cruiser
    Photo by Jenny Antill
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    Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week, including a look at one of America's top landowners. Plus, the sad closure of a pioneering steakhouse and a popular pizzeria makes plans for Houston. Get the details on our most popular stories below, then head here to plan your weekend.

    1. Houston oil-and-gas billionaire ranks among America's top 100 landowners. About one-fourth of the country’s mega-owners of private land have ties to Texas, either living here, owning land here, or both. The highest-ranked Houston-based landowner is oil-and-gas billionaire Russell Gordy.

    2. Houston's pioneering South American steakhouse will soon shutter in River Oaks. Sad news for inner loopers who are fans of plantain chips, wood-grilled steaks, and Houston’s best tres leches. The River Oaks location of South American steakhouse Churrascos will close Monday, June 16.

    3. Texas Monthly's BBQ Snob dishes on the magazine's new top 50 list. On this episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn joins CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss the magazine’s new list of the 50 best barbecue joints in Texas.

    4. 'Famous' Bronx-based pizza chain fires up 3 Houston locations. A New York-based pizza chain has big plans for Houston. Called Singas Famous Pizza, the restaurant will soon open three locations in the area.

    Singas PizzaSingas Pizza is coming to Houston.Photo courtesy of Singas

    5. Texas slides down the list of best U.S. state economies for 2025. Texas' robust economy may be showing some cracks. Texas now ranks as the state with the eighth best economy, four spots lower than one year ago, according to a new report.

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