IS THAT A WARBLER?

Houston nests No. 3 spot in new rank of best U.S. cities for birdwatching

Houston is a great city for cardinals.

Calling all Houston ornithophiles: It's time to bust out the field guides and binoculars. Houston was just given the bronze medal in a new national ranking of the best cities for birdwatching, and during Great Outdoors Month no less.

The 2023 report by Lawn Love ranked Houston highly based on the popularity of the activity in the city, and its conservation efforts. The Houston Audubon owns 17 nature sanctuaries throughout the area, with combined land sprawling over 4,100 acres.

The city also earned high regard for its annual feathered festivity, Houston Bird Week. This year's events will take place from September 23-30, with the Audubon and local conservationists collaborating to provide Houstonians with fun birding experiences, parties, trivia, and more.

"Houston Audubon aims to inspire a culture of conservation and a way of life that allows us to thrive in harmony with nature," the strategic plan on their website states. "Our vision is the creation of a healthier, more beautiful place to live by leading and nurturing a community that values and supports birds."

Lawn Love's report analyzed 14 different metrics to rank 200 of the largest U.S. cities, including number of Audubon centers, wildlife refuges, bird species, birdwatching groups, festivals, organizations, and more.

The only cities to outrank Houston were New York City (No. 1) and San Diego (No. 2). Austin (No. 9) was the only other Texas city to make the top 10, and Houston's neighbor Pasadena ranked No. 88.

The top 10 American cities for birdwatching are:

No. 1 – New York City
No. 2 – San Diego
No. 3 – Houston
No. 4 – Seattle
No. 5 – Los Angeles
No. 6 – San Francisco
No. 7 – Philadelphia
No. 8 – Phoenix
No. 9 – Austin
No. 10 – Chicago

Dr. Dustin Reichard, an assistant professor of biological sciences at Ohio Wesleyan University, provided three tips for beginner birdwatchers in the report. He suggested tagging along with the local Audubon society for those first few birding trips, getting to know the basic birds around the area first, and always remember that it gets easier to identify birds over time with practice.

"It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of bird species and give up on trying to learn to identify them," Dr. Reichard said. "You will learn which birds to expect in different habitats and that will narrow the list of possible species substantially. Also, remember point one: go out with someone experienced who can help you with these identifications initially."

The full report and its methodology can be found on lawnlove.com.

houston reports houston audubon society lawn love

money woes

Texas dips on ranking of America's most financially distressed states

Photo by Image Source/Getty Images

Texas actually improved in this year's ranking.

After spending an unfortunate year as the No. 1 state with the most people in financial distress, Texas has slightly recovered. But the Lone Star State isn't out of the woods yet: it's still among the five most financially distressed states in America for 2026.

According to WalletHub's 2026 report, Texas sits in the No. 4 spot this year, while Kansas, Louisiana, and Florida moved up to become the top three states with the most financially distressed residents.

The personal finance website's experts compared all 50 states based on residents' average credit scores, the share of people with "accounts in distress" (meaning an account that's in forbearance or has deferred payments), the one-year change in bankruptcy filings from March 2025, and search interest indexes for "debt" and "loans."

Despite improving in the overall ranking, the study found Texas has had the fourth-biggest spike in bankruptcy filings nationally from March 2025 to March 2026. Texas residents also have the 10th worst average credit scores in the country, according to the findings.

This is how Texas ranked across the study's six key dimensions, where No. 1 means "most distressed:"

No. 4 – Change in bankruptcy filings from March 2024 to March 2025 rank
No. 5 – Average number of accounts in distress rank
No. 8 – "Loans" search interest index rank
No. 8 – People with accounts in distress rank
No. 12 – Credit score rank
No. 13 – “Debt” search interest index rank

It feels like inflation and affordability have been top-of-mind for many Americans over recent years, and uncertainty around the national economy also adds another level of distress. That's especially true for Houston residents, which were dubbed the second most financially distressed people in America earlier in 2026.

"Americans have faced significant financial challenges in recent years, as inflation, shifting unemployment levels, public health emergencies, and natural disasters have made it more difficult for many households to stay on top of their bills," the report said.

The top three states that have the least financially distressed residents are Maine (No. 50), Rhode Island (No. 49), and Hawaii (No. 48).

The top 10 most financially distressed states in America for 2026 are:

No. 1 – Kansas
No. 2 – Lousiana
No. 3 – Florida
No. 4 – Texas
No. 5 – South Carolina
No. 6 – Wyoming
No. 7 – Georgia
No. 8 – California
No. 9 – North Carolina
No. 10 – Kentucky

economy wallethub reports texas finance