the new tech cities

Houston falls behind other Texas cities in new ranking of best U.S. tech hubs

Was Houston snubbed on a new list of the best tech cities?

In a recent report analyzing metrics for best cities for tech hubs, Houston failed to crack the top 20 — unlike a few other Texas cities.

The new report, "The Top Tech Cities in the US: Ranking 100 Cities in 2024," by online security experts Cloudwards, examined 100 tech-reliant cities in the nation across 17 key indicators, including salaries for information technology professionals, a city's cost of living, internet quality, job opportunities and tech-related companies, and more.

Houston is the No. 22 best tech city in the nation, just barely missing the upper third of Texas cities; the Dallas suburb of Plano outshone them all at No. 4, and its neighbor Frisco came in at No. 10. San Antonio ranked a few spots ahead of Houston, at No. 18, possibly taking some inspiration from tech-hub Austin, which made No. 7.

Here's how Houston stacked up in the major categories in the study:

No. 13 – Livability
No. 16 – Career and Education
No. 40 – Tech Community
No. 44 – Innovation and Entrepreneurship
No. 53 – Internet Coverage and Quality

Looking at these metrics, it's apparent why Houston ranked so low. Although the city is prepared to get to work — with great career and education opportunities and a high livability rating — it's not necessarily using that leg up to its advantage. Internet coverage lags behind a large portion of other cities, and opportunities for collaboration and entrepreneurship are not providing great incentive to kick that into a higher gear.

Austin's spot in No. 7 behind Plano's No. 4 might be surprising, but, according to the report, the Texas capital's higher cost of living is to blame.

"Texas’ capital, Austin is a good place for startups since it’s easy to find top talent, initial capital and inexpensive office space," wrote the report's author. "However, due to the rapid rise in population (3 percent between 2021 and 2022), the cost of living has increased and access to good real estate has become more costly. Even so, the city’s distinct culture, access to educational opportunities and work-life balance continue to make Austin a popular choice for many IT professionals."

With many employers still embracing remote work, having a good wifi connection can make or break a person's ability to work from home. It seems that helped Plano, as 96 percent of households in the Dallas suburb have internet access, which was the single best connection rate of any city in the study.

Frisco also topped out in one category in particular, earning the title as "the most livable city in the U.S." according to Cloudwards.

Average salaries for IT professionals in Frisco come out to about $95,516 annually, which is only a $217 difference from Plano at $95,733. Given Houston's middling rank on the list above, no data was shared.

Nationally, the cities that round out the top five most tech-savvy cities in the U.S. are:

No. 1 – New York City, New York
No. 2 – Washington, D.C.
No. 3 – San Francisco, California
No. 4 – Plano, Texas
No. 5 – Jersey City, New Jersey

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accessibility brings empowerment

Autonomous cab company cruises into Houston with wheelchair-accessible rides

Courtesy of Cruise

The six month program is available is more than 90 Houston-area ZIP codes.

A California company with autonomous cabs has announced a new pilot program in partnership with a provider of wheelchairs and mobility solutions.

Cruise has teamed up with Numotion for a six-month wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV) pilot program in Houston, offering free transportation for qualifying Numotion customers, according to the companies. The program will operate in over 90 Houston-area ZIP codes.

“Numotion is excited to partner with Cruise to offer a seamless and convenient solution for wheelchair users in the Houston area. By providing transportation to and from repair appointments, we're alleviating a significant stressor and providing a way for our customers to receive their service and repair faster,” says Mike Swinford, CEO of Numotion, in a news release. “We're constantly striving to innovate and improve the lives of our customers, and this collaboration demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing beneficial customer experiences."

Cruise entered the Texas market last year, with Houston services launching in October 2023 before the company put all operations on pause following a California crash. This is the first Texas announcement for Cruise since the pause.

"Accessibility is core to our mission at Cruise. This pilot program with Numotion is doing more than providing accessible rides – it’s about empowering people in the community with greater mobility and independence, while also building learnings to better our service in the future," says Craig Glidden, president and chief administrative officer at Cruise about the new pilot.

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The story originally was published on our sister site, InnovationMap.