outer city livin'
Dubious study by USA Today says newcomers to Texas should bypass Houston
Moving to a small city like Abilene is more preferable than moving to Houston, USA Today found.
Everything's bigger in Texas, but when it comes to the best cities to put down roots, USA Today says to go small, not big. According to a recent population analysis by USA Today Homefront, people moving to Texas would be wise to bypass metropolitan hubs such as Austin, Dallas, and Houston, and head to small towns like Tyler or Laredo instead.
The analysis ranked 52 cities in Texas on factors such as affordability and quality of life.
The No. 1 city on their list: Tyler, about 200 miles north of Houston. Laredo came in at No. 2, followed by New Braunfels, Cedar Park, and Temple.
"The top five cities may be a little unexpected, but low unemployment rates (3.5 percent or less), great medical care, and safety are just some of the reasons they rise to the top," the report said.
In fact, a number of Houston-area cities tepidly landed in the middle of their move-to list including:
- No. 19 – Sugar Land
- No. 31 – Conroe
- No. 35 – Pearland
- No. 45 – Pasadena
Meanwhile, they ranked larger cities like Houston (No. 50) lower due to factors such as crime and living costs.
Coming in last at No. 52, for the least appealing city in Texas to move to: Baytown, 30 miles east of Houston.
Factors ruling against these cities included high crime rates, competitive housing markets, and increased cost of living.
No. 1-ranking Tyler earned its crown thanks to its access to healthcare, and the overall lowest risk of damage from severe weather, out of all cities on the list. The report also gave Tyler a stamp of approval in the entertainment sector, specifically its reputation for roses. That doesn't sound very lively in comparison to Houston's broad array of entertainment offerings, from the rodeo to new neighborhood restaurant openings.
"The 14-acre Tyler Municipal Rose Garden, the largest in the nation, has over 38,000 rose bushes and over 600 varieties," the report said. "Once you’re done smelling the roses, there are plenty of other things to see and do: Tyler boasts 3.3 restaurants and 1.2 activities per 1,000 residents."
It also found that Tyler is a more cost-effective place to live: The typical value of a Tyler home is $245,750, with average rent at $1,481 per month. The average Tyler resident's life expectancy is 77.4 years old, and median income is $60,811 a year.
By comparison, the typical home in Houston was found to be $261,764, with a median income at $60,426 a year, and average rent at $1,596 per month.
The top 10 best cities to move to in 2024, according to the oldsters at USA Today, are:
- No. 1 – Tyler
- No. 2 – Laredo
- No. 3 – New Braunfels
- No. 4 – Cedar Park
- No. 5 – Temple
- No. 6 – McAllen
- No. 7 – Longview
- No. 8 – Abilene
- No. 9 – El Paso
- No. 10 – Victoria
