still better than dallas

Houston falls out of top 50 'World's Best Cities' rankings for 2026

Houston is no longer one of the top 50 best cities in the world.

Photo courtesy of Resonance Consultancy

Houston is no longer one of the top 50 best cities in the world, according to a prestigious annual report by Canada-based real estate and tourism marketing firm Resonance Consultancy.

The newest "World's Best Cities" list dropped Houston from No. 40 last year to No. 58 for 2026.

The experts at Resonance Consultancy annually compare the world's top 100 cities with metropolitan populations of at least one million residents or more based on the relative qualities of livability, "lovability," and prosperity. The firm additionally collaborated with AI software company AlphaGeo to determine each city's "exposure to risk, adaptation capacity," and resilience to change.

The No. 1 best city in the world is London, with New York (No. 2), Paris (No. 3), Tokyo (No. 4), and Madrid (No. 5) rounding out the top five best global cities in 2026.

Houston at least didn't rank as poorly as it did in 2023, when the city surprisingly plummeted as the 66th best city in the world. In 2022, Houston ranked 42nd on the list.

Despite dropping 18 places, Resonance Consultancy maintains that Houston "keeps defying gravity" and is a "coveted hometown
for the best and brightest on earth." The report cited the Houston metro's ever-growing population, its relatively low median home values ($265,000 in 2024), and its expanding job market as top reasons for why the city shouldn't be overlooked.

"Chevron’s shift of its headquarters from California to Houston, backed by $100 million in renovations, crowns relocations drawn by record 2024 Port Houston throughput of more than four million containers and a projected 71,000 new jobs in 2025," the report said.

The report also draws attention to the city's diversity, spanning from the upcoming grand opening of the long awaited Ismaili Center, to the transformation of several industrial buildings near Memorial City Mall into a mixed-use development called Greenside.

"West Houston’s Greenside will convert 35,000 square feet of warehouses into a retail, restaurant and community hub around a one-acre park by 2026, while America’s inaugural Ismaili Center remains on schedule for later this year," the report said. "The gathering place for the community and home for programs promoting understanding of Islam and the Ismaili community is another cultural jewel for the country’s most proudly diverse major city."

In Resonance Consultancy's separate list ranking "America's Best Cities," Houston fell out of the top 10 and currently ranks as the 13th best U.S. city in 2025.

Elsewhere in Texas, Austin and Dallas also saw major declines in their standings for 2026. Austin plummeted from No. 53 last year to No. 87 for 2026, and Dallas fell from No. 53 and now ranks as 78th best city in the world.

"In this decade of rapid transformation, the world’s cities are confronting challenges head‑on, from climate resilience and aging infrastructure to equitable growth," the report said. "The pandemic, long forgotten but still a sage oracle, exposed foundational weaknesses – from health‑care capacity to housing affordability. Yet, true to their dynamic nature, the leading cities are not merely recovering, but setting the pace, defining new paradigms of innovation, sustainability and everyday livability."

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Honoring The Enforcer

Barbara Bush Foundation completes family upgrades at 40 Houston libraries

A young girl reads in a Family Place Library win Houston while caretakers look on.

Photo courtesy of the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation

Barbara Bush's legacy of childhood literacy activism lives on through the Family Place Libraries

The late former First Lady Barbara Bush was renowned for her work on improving childhood literacy. Her foundation recently announced that it has completed a $1 million project to transform Houston libraries into more inviting, family-friendly spaces.

“This milestone reflects the very best of what can happen when public libraries, philanthropy, and community partners work together with shared purpose,” said Julie Finck, Ph.D., President & CEO of the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation. “Our partnerships with Houston Public Library and Harris County Public Library have been extraordinary, and I know Barbara Bush would be absolutely delighted to see families across our region learning and growing together in these welcoming spaces."

Dr. Finck added, “Mrs. Bush believed deeply that parents are a child’s first and most important teachers, and that libraries play a vital role in supporting families. Family Place Libraries bring her vision to life every single day.”

What is a Family Place Library?

The Family Place Library project converted 40 Houston Public Library and Harris County Public Library spaces around the city into centers for family-centered bonding, reading, education, and exploration. These improvements include renovating the spaces to have scaled down furniture for children, open areas for play and activities, greater collections of dual language books, a greater focus on toddler and preschool materials and activities, and bright colors to stimulate young minds. Basically, the goal is to make sure every library is a place where children and their caregivers feel welcome.

While each library space has its own needs, it generally costs between $15,000 and $30,000 per branch to effect the transformation. Some spaces end up being as large as 400 square feet — plenty of room to sit on the floor with energetic toddlers reading a board book and interacting with them.

Completing the Goal

Bush, a teacher before she became First Lady, was fully-dedicated to education and literacy both as First Lady and after her husband's administration, forming the Bush Literacy Foundation in 1989 and being active in it until her death in 2018. Today, the foundation is managed by her son and daughter-in-law, Neil and Maria Bush.

The Family Place Library project was launched shortly after her death. It was funded with donations from Air Liquide, Phillips 66, the PNC Foundation through its Grow Up Great initiative, and the Ladies for Literacy Guild of the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation. After eight years, every library in Houston now follows the Family Place Library guidelines, just in time for her 100th birthday this June.

“The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation has made an extraordinary investment in our libraries and our communities,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in a statement. “By expanding Family Place Libraries across Houston and Harris County, they are strengthening families, supporting early learning, and reinforcing the vital role libraries play in community life. We are grateful for their vision, partnership, and commitment to Houston’s future.”

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