NASA, Rodeo, Astrodome
If you love space travel history, want to see some of the country’s best rodeo, and care to see what ends up happening to the world-famous Astrodome, consider moving to Houston.
As one of the most diverse cities in the US, it’s no wonder Houston is a popular spot to relocate to. With the second most Fortune 500 headquarters plus strong manufacturing, aeronautics, and healthcare industries, Houston is a great place to live and work.
But “H-Town” has more than just a strong industrial backbone. Houston also features a bustling arts district, a thriving theatre scene, and an underrated museum district.
With so much to take in, this massive city can be a bit overwhelming at first, which is why we’ve taken the time to outline some of the baseline info you’ll want to know before moving to Houston.
Everything about relocating to Houston
- Where is the best place to live? It’s important to find a place to live that’ll fit both your lifestyle and your budget. To do this, we’ll explore your daily commute, Houston walk scores, crime stats, neighborhood demographics, and most importantly, some great resources for finding apartments or houses.
- Get everything moved. This is our specialty here at moveBuddha. We’ll help you find a great moving company.
- Get set up in your new town. And lastly, we’ll go over a bunch of resources you’ll need to get established post move. Things like car and voter registration and some great suggestions on things to do and where to meet new people.
Quick Houston Snapshot
- With a population of 2.3 million, Houston is the 4th most populous city in the United States.
- The mid-2018 Houston average rent is $1,277 per month, ranking as the 52nd highest rent in the country.
- As the 55th most expensive US city, Houston has a fairly high cost of living but is still afforable compared to other large cities.
Before we get too deep into the finer details, get a feel for the city with this video drone tour.
Houston’s Neighborhoods
When prepping for a move, finding the right neighborhood in a city is a big decision.
But that can be a bit difficult when the city is as big and sprawling as Houston.
The city of Houston doesn’t really have a uniform standard for what defines a “neighborhood.”
What we do have are a bunch of areas like historic wards and planned communities that have been loosely coupled into 88 super neighborhoods.
That narrows things down a bit, But there’s still a lot of neighborhoods to choose from. Luckily, there are some resources like this this quiz that can help you focus on what you’re looking for.
Ultimately, your biggest deciding factor is going to be whether or not you can actually afford to live there. That’s where this rental hotspot map from Trulia comes in.
The following list is a breakdown of the monthly average rent prices of a few Houston neighborhoods that should give you an idea of where to start looking. Remember, red areas are more expensive, green areas tend to be more affordable, and living spaces get pricier the closer you get to the middle of the city.
Houston Rent Prices By Neighborhood
- Areas like Far North, Pasadena, Southeast, and Bellaire are where you’ll find cheaper rent that falls in the range of $750 to $1,000.
- The more moderately priced rents are around $1,100 and $1,500 and can be found in places like Westchase, Greater Heights, East End, and Uptown.
- The neighborhoods around and similar to Montrose, Midtown, Rice, and Downtown are where the rent is highest, ranging from $1,550 to $2,250.
Where are people like me living in Houston?
Keep in mind that price is only part of the equation. You’ll also want to find a neighborhood that suits your lifestyle.
To help you find an area that fits your needs, we plugged in the zip code for Downtown Houston (77002) on the Ezri Zip Tapestry tool to show the main demographic sections in the area.
You can use the tool to explore other Houston neighborhoods too. But once you’ve found a place with a good vibe, you’ll need to make sure you can navigate it easily.
Houston’s Hefty Commute
Like most major metropolitan areas, Houstonians really hate driving in the city.
Houston has an average commute time of 26.4 minutes, which puts it above the national average. But, Houston does beat the average with 11.1% of commuters carpooling.
A recent study found Houston to have the 6th most stressful commute in the country, which isn’t great but also isn’t the worst. That’s somewhat easy to see when only 0.5% bicycle, 2.1% walk, and 3.6% use public transportation.
Looking at those statistics, it brings up the question of why people aren’t utilizing these methods of transportation.
Walkability in Houston
Walkability and bicycle transit in Houston are fine, but it’s public transportation system is fairly weak.
Houston has a walk score of 49 which, is just shy of passable.
Areas close to downtown tend to be fairly walkable but the further you get from the city’s center the less feasible walking becomes.
A car is nearly a must in most parts of Houston.
Fortunately, city officials have recognized the issue and changes are being formed by the Walkable Places Committee to make Houston walker friendly.
As Rice University points out though, making Houston walkable is going to be a challenge.
Houston has low bikeability
Currently, Houston has a bike score of 37, but the city is trying to get things up to speed.
Cyclists in Houston face many of the same issues that pedestrians do, with developments towards infrastructure being constrained by the way the city’s been set up.
The Houston Bike Plan is working towards improving safety, increasing accessibility, and improving ridership throughout the city by 2027.
The nonprofit group Bike Houston is also working towards improving safety and bikeability throughout the city and Houston BCycle provides Houston with a convenient bikeshare service.
But hey, at least the bus system acommodates bikes…
Unfortunately, the bus system in Houston is fairly weak
Houston’s bus system leaves a lot to be desired with a score of 48/100.
But things are starting to improve.
Bus transit throughout the city is handled by Metro Houston which offers routes on most city streets.
As you can see from the bus system map, bus routes offer a variety of stops but tend to be concentrated in and around downtown.
While overall US public transit ridership has been on the decline, Houston has experienced ridership gains after revamping bus lines, making them more direct, faster, frequent, and more reliable.
Also helpful is the development of a new rapid transit system which aims to make bus services more efficient and cost-effective.
Alright, that’s how you can get around. But let’s talk about the places you shouldn’t go.
Crime in Houston
The crime rate in Houston is fairly high, but things appear to be improving.
According to NeighborhoodScout, Houston has a crime score of 4 out of 100.
So… there’s that.
But on the bright side, the Houston murder rate dropped 11% in 2017, which definitely isn’t a bad thing.
It’s also important to remember “high crime rate” doesn’t necessarily mean you’re always in constant danger. Just that you need to be alert.
Now, let’s get to finding a place to live.
Hunting for Apartments in Houston
The easiest first step to narrowing down your apartment search is figuring you what you’ll need in terms of amenities.
First and foremost, Houston gets hot and the winters can be pretty chilly (especially at night), so you’ll want a place that has heat and A/C.
With Houston’s low walkability, you’ll want a place with a washer/dryer to avoid trekking to the laundromat.
And while you’re considering utilities, check out our guide on the typical cost of utilities so you can budget accordingly.
Searching for Houston Apartments
Apartment hunting is a massive pain, but the internet is filled with a ton of solid resources to help you search.
We’ve compiled a list of all our favorite apartment search resources.
- ApartmentList
- Padmapper
- Zumper
- LiveLovely
- Craigslist
Houston Rental Market
In the previous six-month span, Houston’s average rent has only increased by 0.5%, which isn’t too bad.
With the rent high but stable, the market’s in a pretty good place for renters. Particularly when the vacancy rate is sitting at 7.28%.
The rent is higher than the national average but so is the vacancy rate meaning you’ll probably be able to find a place to live, but affording it will be a different story.
Texas Rental Law
But before you commit to any leases or sign any contracts, you should definitely get a feel for what your rights as a renter are.
- Texas Required Landlord Disclosures
- Texas Security Deposit Limits and Deadlines
- Filing Security Deposit Lawsuit in Texas Justice Court
- Texas Tenant Right to “Repair and Deduct”
- Texas Landlord/Tenant Laws
Okay, now for home buyers.
Finding a Home in Houston
Houston’s median home value as of 2018 is $179,400 with a projected 2.2% increase for the next year.
Seeing as prices won’t be going down anytime soon, you’ll want to make sure you find a place you’ll want to stay in for a while. We’ve highlighted a couple areas we found the most interesting to help get you started.
Montrose
Located just east of downtown, Montrose is a neighborhood with a great commute, plenty of nightlife, and a lot of cultural cachet While it’s extremely appealing to young professionals, that also means it can get pretty expensive.
Spring Branch
People looking for a little more yard space without straying too far from the convenience of the city will want to look at Spring Branch which provides a more suburban lifestyle without giving up the cultural identities of its longtime residents.
And now that you’re ready to move to Houston…
Use our moving cost calculator to estimate your moving costs to Houston.
Also, if you are coming from out of state, be sure to have a look at our state-state moving guide for more info and tips.
Parking Permits for Moving Vehicles in Houston
You’ll also want to make sure you’ll have a place to legally park a moving truck before you lock in any plans.
Houston’s website has a solid list of resources about parking permits that can help you figure out what you need.
Finishing up the last details of your Houston move
Alright, you’ve gotten all the heavy-lifting out of the way! Now all that’s left to take care are a few post move details.
- Voter Registration: If you want to truly be a part of your new community, make sure to register to vote in Houston.
- Driver’s License: You’ll want to get a new driver’s license with your new address on it as soon as you can after moving.
- Out of State Vehicle Registration: If you’re moving from out of state, you’re legally required to get Texas license plates.
- Trash & Recycling: You’ll want to make sure trash & recycling is coming to your new home as soon as you can after moving in.
- Meet People and Make New Friends: The internet makes the difficult process of making new connections a bit easier. Sites like meetup and r/Houston are good resources for keeping track of what’s going on around town.
Things to Do Around Houston
Once you’ve moved to a new city, you’ll want to get a good idea ow what it has to offer in terms of entertainment.
A solid first place to check is the city’s visit Houston site.
And, when you inevitably have people visit your new home, here’s a visitor’s guide for out-of-towners.
The post Tips On Moving to Houston, TX: Relocation Guide appeared first on moveBuddha Blog.
