Raising kids right

Houston earns bragging rights as one of America's most family-friendly cities

One of the reasons Houston is tops for families? The parks.

Sky Noir Photography by Bill Dickinson/Getty Images

Anyone who's grown up in Houston will say it's a great place to call home. Now a new survey confirms the city's bragging rights as one of the top spots in the country to raise a family.

Homes.com ranked the top 25 metropolitan areas in the U.S. based on their overall “family-friendliness” quotient. Houston comes in at No. 3 on the list. At the top of the list is Dallas (No. 1), and not far behind is San Antonio (No. 5).

Cities were chosen based on key considerations, including crime rate, cost of living, availability of child care services, average commute times, school (K-12) quality, and park acreage per capita. The markers were chosen for the ways they contribute to both a child’s development and a family's quality of life. A weight was assigned to each factor to value their relative levels of importance — school quality had the highest, while commute times had the lowest.

"The largest U.S. cities may be known for their unique attributes, but it’s not immediately apparent which of them are best for raising a family," the report says. "The decision of where to call 'home' is a critical decision for new parents and can have a significant influence on the lives of their children."

Houston scored an overall 37 out of 50 and earned a shining 5 out of 5 for its excellent parks (timely, given the just-announced $70 million gift for Memorial Park). H-Town also scored well for cost of living, quality of schools, and commute time, which outweighed its below average childcare services and middle-of-the-road crime rate.

Dallas, with an overall score of 38 out of 50, ranked particularly high in cost of living and park spaces. By comparison, San Antonio not only earned a perfect score for its parks but also for its short commute times and cost of living.

Other large U.S. cities that made the cut include Boston (No. 10); Orlando (No. 15); St. Louis (No. 20); and rounding out the list at No. 25, Miami.

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the search is on

Game-changing leader of Houston Parks Board to retire after 10 years

Houston Parks Board CEO Beth White stands at a podium at the Captain Herod Memorial, Houston Mayor John Whitmire is seated nearby.

Photo by Melissa Taylor

Beth White speaking at the Captain Herod Memorial on January 28,2025

It's the end of an era at the Houston Parks Board (HPB). CEO Beth White announced Wednesday, May 21 that she will be retiring on January 1, 2026.

"As I reflect on my career, one of the most rewarding decisions I have made was coming to Houston," White said in a statement. "The entrepreneurial drive in this city is very powerful, our public-private partnership model is second to none, and the creativity at play is a model for the nation."

White began her stewardship of the HPB in 2016. Before coming to Houston, she oversaw Chicago's Trust for Public Land, guiding the development of the city's famous elevated trailway, the 606. Her experience made her perfect to lead the HPB as Houston dedicated itself to a radical improvement of its park spaces. With HPB responsible for 3,300 acres across 250 parks, as well as coordinating access to another 14,000 acres, it was an executive position for an area physically larger than many cities.

White proved herself a competent and visionary general of Houston's greenspaces. During her time, she led the revitalization of 30 Houston parks, mostly in marginalized and underserved communities. Her work netted her an appointment to the chair of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden in 2021, where she helped federal agencies make long-term plans about public space usage.

Perhaps her greatest accomplishment as CEO of HPB is the Bayou Greenway project, a bold re-imagining of Houston's waterways. The project has built 150 miles worth of trails that hug the various bayous and creeks meandering through Houston, turning what were often foot traffic barriers into an artery system of green trails connecting various park spaces across the city. Isolated pockets of community space are now linked through easy to use trail systems, making foot traffic across Houston simpler and more beautiful to experience.

“It is very gratifying to see that Houstonians are embracing parks and greenspace as an essential part of the region’s infrastructure. I am proud to have played a part in Houston’s green renaissance and look forward to continued progress thanks to the talented and dedicated staff and board at Houston Parks Board,” said White.

Cory King, president and CEO, and Ben Feit, principal, at Kittleman and Associates, are leading the search for suitable candidates to fill White's very big shoes. In the meantime, White will continue to lead the organization for the rest of the year.

"Houston Parks Board would not be in the position it is today without the guidance and leadership of Beth White. As we commemorate her throughout this year, we are grateful that Beth’s vision has helped transform our organization into a regional and national leader for parks and greenspace,” said Houston Parks Board chair Cullen Geiselman Muse. “We are also excited to begin the search for her successor. Houston is a unique region that offers different opportunities to maximize available space and create multi-purpose greenspaces that make real, lasting impacts on our communities. We look forward to sharing more information as the search progresses."

parks houston parks board beth white