lakewood recognized

Joel Osteen and Lakewood Church honored by City of Houston for post-Harvey help

Ben-Hur premiere, Aug. 2016, Joel Osteen, Victoria Osteen

Osteen (pictured with his wife, Victoria) initially took criticism for not opening Lakewood's doors.

Pastor Joel Osteen, who initially took criticism for not opening the doors of his famed megachurch to those displaced in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, was recognized August 14 by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and city council members for his role in storm relief. Osteen, his family, and his Lakewood Church staff were honored at City Hall.

According to the city, Lakewood helped thousands affected by Harvey's flooding get back on their feet, including assisting in rehabbing flood-damaged homes.

Turner presented a proclamation to Osteen in recognition of the church's efforts in the aftermath of the storm. Any council member can request a proclamation, which in this case was initiated by Councilman Jack Christie.

In the early stages of the storm's wake, many residents wondered why Lakewood Church was inaccessible to those seeking relief. On the first of several heavy rain days, the church cited severe flooding for the cause. But, people quickly took to social media questioning whether the building next to Southwest Freeway was really impacted by the storm.

The day after, Osteen was prepared to help those in need.

"We have never closed our doors. We will continue to be a distribution center for those in need. We are prepared to house people once shelters reach capacity. Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of this storm in helping our fellow citizens rebuild their lives," the church said in a statement.

The church also released photos showing the flooding around the church. The church eventually opened its doors, providing shelter, food and other essentials to anyone seeking it. During an interview with Good Morning America, Osteen defended his decision not to open earlier.

"I think somebody created that narrative that somehow we were high and dry," he said. "None of that is true. This building was a safety issue and we took people in from the very beginning. When somebody's not in this situation, where, we have nobody in this facility. We were fearing that it would flood. The last thing we would do was put people in it right at the beginning," he added.

In the same interview, Osteen committed to helping the area recover, saying the church is in it for the long haul. Any citizen can request a city of Houston proclamation for a group or a significant personal achievement through the the city's website.

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Stretching the budget

A $100,000 salary in 2026 goes further in Houston than it did last year

Photo by Leo Yao on Unsplash

$100,000 stretches a little further in 2026.

A 2026 income study has good news for big earners in Houston: A six-figure salary goes further than it did last year.

A Houston resident's $100,000 salary is worth $84,840 after taxes and adjusted for the local cost of living, according to the new financial analysis from SmartAsset. That's about $1,500 more than Houstonians were bringing home last year.

The 2026 take-home pay is about eight percent higher than it was in 2024, when the same salary had an adjusted value of $78,089.

SmartAsset used its paycheck calculator to apply federal, state and local taxes to an annual salary of $100,000 in 69 of the largest American cities. The figure was then adjusted for the local cost of living (which included average costs for housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, and miscellaneous goods and services). Cities were then ranked based on where a six-figure salary is worth the least after applicable taxes and cost of living adjustments.

Houston ranked No. 60 in the overall ranking of U.S. cities where $100,000 is worth the least. If the rankings were flipped and the cities were ranked based on where $100,000 goes the furthest, that places Houston in the No. 10 spot nationwide.

Manhattan, New York remains the No. 1 city where a six-figure salary is worth the least. A Manhattan resident's take-home pay is only worth $29,420 after taxes and adjusted for the cost of living, which is 3.10 percent lower than it was in 2025.

SmartAsset determined Manhattan has a 29.7 percent effective tax rate on six-figure salaries. Meanwhile, the effective tax rate on a $100,000 salary in Texas (based on the eight cities examined in the report) is 21.1 percent. It's worth highlighting that New York implements a statewide graduated-rate income tax from 4-10.90 percent, whereas Texas is one of only eight states that don't tax residents' income.

Oklahoma City, No. 69, is the U.S. city in the report where a $100,000 salary stretches the furthest. A six-figure salary is worth $91,868 in 2026, up from $89,989 last year.

This is the post-tax value of a $100,000 salary in other Texas cities, and their ranking in the report:

Plano (No. 27): $72,653
Dallas (No. 47): $80,103
Austin (No. 53): $82,446
Lubbock (No. 59): $84,567
San Antonio (No. 62): $86,419
El Paso (No. 67): $90,276
Corpus Christi (No. 68): $91,110

According to the report, getting some "financial breathing room" by making six-figures really depends on where someone lives and what their lifestyle is. For residents living in the 42 states that levy some amount of income tax, their take-home pay dwindles further.

"And depending on how taxes are filed, reaching a $100,000 income may push a household from the 22 percent to 24 percent marginal tax bracket," the report's author wrote. "Meanwhile, locations with high costs across housing and everyday essentials may be less forgiving to a $100,000 income."

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