Houston has it all—museums, culture, excellent food, the zoo, a world-class symphony, more museums, theatre… did we mention the museums? But what if you want all those amenities without the hustle and bustle of the city? You might actually want to look a few miles away. That’s right, we’re talking suburbs. We examined Houston’s suburbs in terms of amenities, standard of living, crime data, unemployment rate, and commute time to determine the 10 best suburbs. We also took input from local Movoto broker Melissa Allison into consideration when making this list.
“Westbound UP manifest train crosses the Brazos River at Richmond TX”byRoy Luckis licensed underCC BY 2.0
According Allison, Richmond is growing steadily—and for good reason. It’s safe, the residents are well employed, and it’s only a quick drive to Houston. One of the most up and coming areas in Richmond is Aliana, a huge master-planned community. Other areas include Hillcrest, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the area, and Winston Terrace. Overall, the crime rate in Richmond is well below average.
“Abandoned Trestle over Oyster Creek, Imperial Sugar, Sugarland, Texas 1018091038A”byPatrick Felleris licensed underCC BY 2.0
According to Allison, Sugar Land is known as one of the most diverse cities in the U.S., and it’s growing each year. Why are so many people attracted to Sugar Land? For one, it’s just a quick commute to Houston, where many residents work, and two, it has the best standard of living out of anywhere in the area, and three, well, it’s just a great place to call home. Sugar Land plays host to numerous concerts, festivals, and events throughout the year, and it’s one of the greenest communities in the area, not just with its parks but also with its recycling program. In addition, Allison said that the construction of a new arts and entertainment venue known as the Ace Center will be “a boon for business.” Allison recommends home buyers check out the master-planned communities of Telfair and New Territory.
“4914-LedgeCreek-Katy-TX-3”byHeidi Dietrichis licensed underCC BY 2.0
If you’re thinking about moving to Katy, you certainly aren’t the only one. This community is one of the fastest-growing in the area. The schools here are top notch, the amenities (including over 500 restaurants) can’t be beat, and the list of things to do is ever expanding. Katy is also growing in terms of business, with oil and gas companies expanding into the area. If you’re looking for a nice master-planned community, Allison recommends Cinco Ranch.
The Woodlands is known far and wide as one of the nicest, and wealthiest, communities in Texas—and that was even before Exxonmobil moved their entire operations there. Now, it’s growing even more and more popular, and more and more prosperous, according to Allison. Don’t worry, though, this family-friendly community is not just about oil and gas. In fact, you’ll be so busy ogling at the luxurious homes, the tree-lined streets, and the sheer picture perfect beauty of The Woodlands, you’ll hardly remember that Exxonmobil is here.
Oak Ridge North’s motto is “What a Hometown Should Be,” and we really couldn’t agree more. It’s the kind of small community where kids can still safely run around their neighborhoods or walk to school. Sure, Oak Ridge North doesn’t have many amenities, but it’s the safest places in the area, it’s charming, it’s well kept, and it’s close to Houston, where there are literally thousands of amenities. It really is the best of both worlds.
Manvel may have one of the higher rent prices in the Houston area, but the way we see it, that’s just a good indication of a strong rental market. So why are so many people looking to live in Manvel? Well, first of all, it has everything you need. From gyms and spas to restaurants and date night options, Manvel has plenty going on. And once you’ve done all of the 350 things to do there, you can just head to Houston—it’s just about half an hour away. It also has the second lowest unemployment rate in the entire Houston area, so you can feel pretty safe, not just because of the low crime rate, but in finding and keeping a job.
Pearland is one of the fastest growing communities in the Houston area, jumping from a population of just about 19,000 to about nearly 100,000 in the past two decades alone. The reason so many people want to live in Pearland isn’t just its close proximity to Houston—it’s the affordable housing, excellent schools, low crime rate, and high median income. According to the city’s website, Pearland is on its way to becoming the next major employment center in the Houston area. So whether you’re looking to start a business or a family, Pearland surely has something that will meet your needs.
If you’re looking for a community that stands on its own, apart from Houston, League City might just be the place for you—especially if you love the great outdoors. There are four marinas in League City and the third largest concentration of recreational boats in the country. If you aren’t much of a boater, there are three beautiful golf courses in the area and about 20 parks. For those who aren’t nature lovers, there are even two museums, the Butler Longhorn Museum & Heritage Park and the West Bay Common School Children’s Museum.
This wealthy Houston suburb is the perfect place to either start a family, a business, or both. Not only do residents typically make a higher income than most in the area, but in general, more of them are employed. That’s because Friendswood has a vibrant business-friendly atmosphere. There are office buildings and shopping centers throughout the community, with new ones popping up every day. Don’t worry, though, you’ll feel worlds away from the booming business center of Friendswood as soon as you return home. The houses here are mostly single-family residences surrounded by trees—an almost park-like setting. For a newer home, you can head to one of Friendswoods’ master-planned communities, or, for something a bit more classic, like a resale home, head to one of Friendswood’s many subdivisions.
Here’s something unique about Stafford: it doesn’t have any property tax. Yes, you read that correctly. If you’re not already packing your bags to head to Stafford, you should also know that it’s known as an “Island of Business Opportunity” and was once even called “a Shangri-La for property owners” by “The Wall Street Journal.” Perhaps that’s why there are so many businesses in Stafford—well over 3,000 for its population of just under 18,000 people—and ultimately, why people are so well employed.
If you’ve ever dreamed about living in or around Houston, just get in touch. We’ll find you your Houston house—all you’ll have to do is make it a home.
Just like with any of our other Big Deal Lists, we created this one by gathering up all of the largest places outside of Houston. Then, with sources like the U.S. Census, AreaVibes, local business listings, and with the input of local broker Melissa Allison, we looked at each place in terms of these criteria:
Any places that didn’t have complete data were eliminated, which left us with a total of 22 suburbs. We ranked these with scores from one to 22 in each category, averaged them into a preliminary score and awarded bonus points to the suburbs Allison recommended to create an overall Big Deal Score for each place. The 10 lowest scores went to our 10 winners. 
Like This Post? You’ll Definitely Love These:
