The REAL Pros and Cons of Living in Houston 

According to the video: Cons: 1. Traffic is bad. 2. Sales and property taxes are high. 3. Weather is hot and humid. 4. Flooding. 5. Construction. Pros: 1. Low cost of living. 2. Homes are affordable. 3. Job market is diverse. 4. Tons of food options. 5. Many things to do (e.g. all major professional sports teams except hockey).

Grew up in Houston and still live in Houston. Over 30 years going strong.

Lived in Houston for many years. The weather killed it for me and finally moved back to NY. Glad I did. I lived inside the loop in Montrose to avoid traffic. A million things to do in Houston though. Fun city if you can stand the heat and humidity. People are very friendly.

People in Houston don’t know what a turn signal is 🤨

Houston is a great town. Lots of opportunities to make money and build a business. 1. Energy capital of the world 2. Largest medical center in the world 3. Largest ship channel in the world 4. Refineries produce 60% of America’s gases 5. NASA. All the astronauts train in houston 6. Home to most number of Fortune 500 companies besides NYC.

Unless you live near Downtown, having a car is almost mandatory. The city is making progress by producing much needed bike friendly roads though.

Native Houstonian, but live in Maryland at the moment. Will be moving back no later than October!! Miss my city!!!

I'm from the Houston area for 35 years, I live in South Dakota and am planning my return!! Great Video

Since I was a young girl, I always heard a lot of stories about Texas. I wished to move and stay in Texas next year with my son. God will grant me this one wish 🤞 in Jesus name amen

Love this video! HTOWN baby!!

I’m from Toronto, Ontario but born and raised in germany and been dreaming about living in HTX my whole life, it’s becoming a reality soon. I am manifesting a great career and life in Houston 😍🙌🏾 hopefully it’s not as hard making new friends in your 30’s lol

You are so personable and awesome thank you!!! This was really helpful information

Idk why I'm watching this i lived in houston and I'm moving back when i graduate highschool

Thank you for your honesty.

I think it would be very entertaining for you to take us around to the parks, restaurants and downtown areas just to get a visual sense of what Houston is like. What about the infamous hail storms? Is that a very real problem? Also, an area/ neighborhoods video would be great!

I moved to Fort Worth been living here for about a year and I grew up in Houston lived there till I was 22. I like Houston but compared to Fort Worth it’s bad. I know both the dfw and Houston are hav e like beef or whatever for which city is the best and for me Fort Worth is much more open, quieter and more developed than Houston. I grew downtown Houston and the only thing I miss besides fam and friends is how close everything was. I could ride my bike or skateboard to work, walk to bars, go for a quick run at a park. Here in Fort Worth they have a lot of trails and parks but nothing is really close which sucks. And they don’t have a really big night life it’s like watered down. Dallas is cool I get Houston vibes from it but I’d say it’s more uptownish than Houston. But that all said the people in Fort Worth and Dallas for me have all been nice but when I got to Houston downtown that is to visit my fam who live there still people are rude and I couldn’t see it when I lived there but since I been gone for a year I can definitely tell. But I like Houston I wouldn’t move back but definitely still visit.

This is so helpful! Thank you!

Great video! Thanks for sharing

You do this so well!

Great informative video!

I lived in Houston from 1975-2000 except for a couple of brief stays outside that area. I can tell you the pros: good job market (aside from the current pandemic) and compared to some other large cities, affordable housing. They also have lots of good hospitals, and restaurants. The cons are traffic and crime. And these are getting worse. The violent crime rate is skyrocketing. And these days it is down right hard to get around in Houston. Takes forever to get anywhere. I moved to the far suburbs of Montgomery County 20 years ago to avoid these problems. Then 2 years ago I moved even farther out. The traffic and crime had expanded and I wanted none of it. Now I am out in the sticks of Grimes County Texas and enjoying it. Another ancillary issue in Houston is of course weather. Its HOT and HUMID in the summer. But I guess that's true anywhere on the gulf coast. Some say tornadoes are an issue. Actually, not so much. They do have some flooding in some areas. Other cultural issues are a matter of taste.

Nice video, very well made. Thank you for posting

If an angry man driving an old gray Toyota honks his horn angrily and yells curse words, don’t fret! He’s probably hangry (source- my dad)

great video, born and raised in Houston and frequent traveler, only thing I would add is an actual visual as to the home values, put a million dollar home in L.A. or N.Y. next to a million dollar home in Texas, or put a NY flat against an equal size flat here in Houston so that people can visually see what they REALLY get for their money because I never really realized the significance of it until I put them side by side!!! :D I live in the suburbs... a 5 bed, 2 master bedrooms, 1/2 bath, a large yard, one of the bedrooms is the size of a Livingroom, and we bought our home for $115,000. (for example) and my kids attend one of the best public school systems in Texas. We sacrificed nothing :D But, a note about the summer heat, it can be stifling when the humidity gets high. I'm a photographer and I love to photograph in nature, There are a dozen amazing parks and wildlife preserves within 5 - 20 min from my home, and they are all over Houston, It's a great place to raise a family. Just though I would mention that as well. :D The Houston Skyline is one of the best in the country as well :D

love you Katie Day, such a beautiful vibe.

Thank you, it was helpful!

I love Houston weather. I love heat and humidity and some good thunderstorms (without the excessive flooding). I came from Minneapolis, Minnesota, so I am happy to not have to deal with subzero temps anymore. I never had a problem with snow, but I'll be just fine without it. As for traffic, I would take Houston over Los Angeles any day. I have been in Airbnb for 5 months, but I am currently looking for an IT job so I can get an apartment. I am a fan of Asian culture, so I think somewhere relatively near Katy Asian Town would be a nice area to be. So many Asian restaurants in that one spot. Wow, and I just realized your name is also Katie. lol.

Thanks for this.

I've been living in Houston since 2011 and 1 thing you should know is if you're in cypress, some parts of katy, or just the northwest in general don't go to the gas station after 11pm you might get robbed

Very helpful! So informative! Great job Katie!

This was so good. Thank you!

I moved to Houston in 2016 from Austin and was amazed at how underrated the city is! Everyone thinks Austin is the cultural capital of Texas....pffffft! Houston is way more diverse, you have more authentic ethnic food (not some tarted up Austin-fusion mess), the art and museum scene in Houston is world class, and you can afford to live in a nice place for not a lot of money. I also never met as many smart and educated people (lots of engineers and medical professionals) in any place I lived-it makes you strive to do BETTER by being around so many smart ambitious folks. In Austin everyone was relatively underemployed if they were not in the tech scene. It's such a great city but I was only there for a year since I got a job opp I could NOT pass up in Colorado. The only thing I don't miss about Houston is the humidity, and I may be back there once the pandemic is over.

thank u for video !

Thank You. Nice presentation!

Hi Katie, very good video. I moved in November 2019 to The Woodlands, my family loves it, but to be honest, I didn't have the chance to explore any other areas. I want to buy a home next year and I would like to have your recommendations, where else should I explore before buying a House in Woodlands? Have two girls 7 & 5 years old. Thanks for your help

excellent video .. for somebody from NY like me sounds ideal.. which are the best suburbs to move in to?

this is an outstanding video

Great video!

I live in a town of 40k in OH, and was shocked to see rent on many 2 or 3 bedrooms there is around the same as here. wtf

The problem with the loops is. People tend to build stuff around them. And then you have to make another loop. And before you know it the loop will end up in Beaumont

Born in Houston, raised in Denton, live in Beacon, NY! Moved to the east coast in 2008 and love it here... but I do miss the food in Texas - so easy to get something spectacular on a dime there compared to NY. I'll take snowy winters over hot and humid summers any day!

Nailed it.

Thank you for admitting Austin traffic is worse. I lived in Austin my whole life and moved to H-Town in 2019 and the traffic isn’t anything compared to Austin I-35

I lived out there for a year and hated it. Traffic was terrible, the racial tension between the blacks and Hispanic got on my nerves, The dating scene for me sucked badly... Like I would never EVER move back to Houston BUT I can say I have met a lot of cool dudes and made some new friends out in Houston. New friends, That's the only pros. Thank god I moved back to San Antonio.

I have lived in Houston on and off over 63 years....I liked it back in high school.....grad in 76.....moved off to goto college etc.......then got a job here again in 1991 to 95......moved back to Tempe AZ....I lived in North Dallas for 2 years also in late eighties in early 90's also and OKC in early 80's during oil boom days. I all my jobs....I lived in Milpitas CA, Tempe AZ and Toronto ON. My least fav place to live was Houston....to many bugs, to humid, Floods.....traffic.....floods and more floods. You must be very careful where you buy a house or lucky...I never had a house flood...I lived in The Woodlands north of Houston and worked downtown ....and Memorial when i was in H.S. and never had a house go under but I was lucky. I Prefer Dallas then S.A. .....Austin is a young kids town and im retired. I just sold my house in Cypress and moving back to Phoenix Dec 1st. Get the flood maps and if its in the flood area....DONT buy it....plus ask first thing......has house flooded.....if its flooded once it will flood again.

Houston has great job opportunities but the traffic and lack of walkability due to never-ending car-dependent sprawl kills the city for me. You can’t even get to your neighborhood convenient store without getting in your car and crossing 3 freeways.

I didn't know what a Kolache and Feeder Road until I moved to Houston ;-)

The hurricane in 2017 is what pushed me to pack up and leave. I moved to Washington state. It is expensive here but then again minimum wage here in Washington state is $15. Where in Texas the minimum wage is $7.30. up here in Washington state there is no serious flooding. Drizzle rain and snowy winters. At least up here when it freezes we don't loose electricity so we are able to stay warm. Here in Washington state in the month of August the hottest it gets up here is 75 not like Houston 115.

I'm still in high school in south Africa but as soon as I finish my studies I'm gonna try my best to move to Houston texas

Cool info….

We definitely have are eye on Houston

Thank you soooo much

In my experience Houston is actually a good town with a Target that has a Pizza Hut and Starbucks inside

Thank you for the video!

I really want to live out there once I graduate next year... idk why Houston but it’s always been on my heart since I was a jr in high school

Where in Houston do you have property tax rate below 2%? Maybe I am missing something? As far as I know property tax in Houston area is above 2% and as high as 3.6%

Thank you,

Nice 👍

I’m patiently waiting to move here! ⚜️🙏🏾 Houston is my new home 🌆 If you’re reading this, are you inside or outside of the loop?

Thank you.

Which will be the best place to live and safe closer to downtown? I am moving to Houston and my office is in the downtown. I also need a good school district. So far I feel memorial is good. Please suggest

Can you please advise which zip code areas in Houston are NOT flooded zones. I'm moving there next year. Thx

I am paying $12000 property tax a year for my $350000 shack in Illinois. So, Texas is a tax heaven to me.

does anybody have an idea of how the autism services are in Tx ? family and i are considering moving down there, but i have a sister with autism, so we're trying to gather up info. is there personal care assistance or an equivalent of that down there ? can relatives be p.c.a. / work as care-takers ?

Well I live in Katy so we just got rain all day during Harvey and we had to stay in side I hated last summer cause are ac broke and we got a ax box that we put outside and threw are window so yea last summer sucked

Any advice for a family of 4 moving to Houston from NYC. Your advice would be appreciated

Hi, Do you rent out houses or apartments on yearly basis? Looking for a house for a family of 3 members

Don't forget about drunk drivers and road rage incidents. Also too many people here. Traffic is horrible

Great Information

I needed this video 7 years ago when I made the move and didn't know ****......I would have gotten a truck when I first got here and not after my car went swimming 😆🤣

Being a native Austinite the traffic is ridiculous on 35! Try an hour to go maybe 20 miles lol anytime we go through Houston we can fly across the whole area in that same time frame lol

Planning to move to Houston with my family… what’s the advices y’all can give me? Where is the best area to life at? I have my kids with me. Advices advices please 🙏🏿

Which area of Houston floods the least? Also what area has the newest developments? What is the average price for a 4 bedroom home

How much will I need to relocate in Houston? I am 18 looking for a one bedroom.

We love Houston

Katie, you talked about Houston being prone to flooding, which neighborhood would you say flood the least?

I am planing to move there! I am coming from Denver, the only thing that gets me worry is the l flooding.. what areas are less likely to get flooded ??

Great video. The traffic in Houston is actually not as bad as Austin since Houston has done a good job building new roads and expanding old roads. Take for example the new Hwy 99. The one down side of Houston i found when living there are the mosquitoes. They are nasty! Crime in Houston is pretty bad also.

My girlfriend and I are planning to move to Houston from Jersey sometime this year. We will take the heat and other opportunities over cold wintery season any day.

boy that electric DEregulation worked out well

Ooof, you had to mention i35 here in Austin. I think traffic is worse in Houston, take that! 8

I loveee houston

Do it flood in all areas of Houston? Sorry I honestly don't know. I'd think not but is it a large area that floods?

Which location is safer from hurricane etc

Weather is bad, bugs, floodings, property taxes, , is crowded. Not a good place. I couldn't live there . I stayed 2 months only. I don't recommended..

The metro rail shown at 1 minute is in the Netherlands 🤣🤣🤣🤣

How would you compare Houston to Baltimore? I’m considering moving and hopefully making Houston my forever home. Are there any good support & system engineering jobs there?

👏🏼👏🏼

What about Aldine? I am researching neighborhoods and can't find much on this one?

Good. Job

When i grow up i want to move to Texas, im not sure where but it would probably be Houston. But im not sure how i will handle the people considering the town i live in only have 7000 people.

Like !

As someone who’s lived here for 40 years since college, the biggest con is that Houston is fast becoming the next Detroit and for many of the same reasons. Most of the city inside the Beltway is now poor or at least lower lower middle class. Will be leaving after retirement.

Hi there! Looking to move to Texas with my 9 year old. Any suggestions on location?

„Since electricity is deregulated.“ who‘s watching this while they are freezing to death? 🥶

Houston traffic takes u two hours to drive from north to south with traffic. People love to speed and have a habbit of doing the hit and run along with road rage that usually end up with u getting shot. Heat is miserable. It floods like hell there. Houston minimum wage is $7.30. I was born and raised in texas and left . Crime is ridiculously insane in Houston. Sex trafficking is rapid in Houston. Westheimer road is hooker drive. Don't get me started on the gangs. Metro buses and trains is a adventure to avoid. People on those metro rides are mental to say the least. The grey hound bus station in downtown houston is a hot spot for homeless and crackheads. I took the grey hound bus once and I literally sat next to the security booth it's that crazy there.

My home state of NY is moving away from freedom and into authoritarianism, so I'm looking for a free state to move to, thank you for this video, I'm gonna check out Austin and Dallas next.

What parts of the Houston area doesn’t flood as much?

What would i need to get something around Pearland TX?

Katie where is a good place to live in Houston for first time home buyers.