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Houston, TX

Nassau Bay is part of the Houston area. This page covers the whole metro.

Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

Around Houston

I
Art Car Parade
Art Car Parade · Photo: falsecognate, CC BY-SA 2.0
Downtown Houston Aquarium in
Downtown Houston Aquarium in · Photo: Katie Haugland Bowen, CC BY 2.0
Ethiopianchurch Houstoncanemont
Ethiopianchurch Houstoncanemont · Photo: WhisperToMe, CC0
Harris County Family Law Center
Harris County Family Law Center · Photo: Jim Evans, CC BY-SA 4.0
Harvey flooding
Harvey flooding · Photo: Chabad Lubavitch, CC BY 2.0
Hermann Park, Sam Houston monument,
Hermann Park, Sam Houston monument, · Photo: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0
Hobbycenter
Houston ISDWhite HQ
Houston ISDWhite HQ · Photo: WhisperToMe, Public domain
Houston Police Dept HQ
Houston Police Dept HQ · Photo: WhisperToMe, Public domain
Houston Post HQ
Houston Post HQ · Photo: WhisperToMe, Public domain
Hurricane Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston August AM
Hurricane Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston August AM · Photo: R. Crap Mariner from Houston, USA, CC BY 2.0
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Where it is
Houston
Houston in Texas
Texas in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of the center of the Houston area.

35
grocery stores
200+
restaurants
138
coffee shops
200+
parks
200+
playgrounds
26
libraries
7
movie theaters
26
live theaters
35
museums
38
bookstores
2
comic shops
47
gyms
200+
bars
48
pharmacies
23
hospitals

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of the Houston area.

Bike lanes and bike paths
193 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
188 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 976,055 rented homes in the Houston area, 84% rent for under $2,000 a month and 97% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 20%
$1,000 to $1,499: 39%
$1,500 to $1,999: 25%
$2,000 to $2,499: 10%
$2,500 to $2,999: 3%
$3,000 or more: 3%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in the Houston area rents for $1,000 to $1,499 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $2,000 to $2,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $3,000 to $4,497 where landlords also ask for last month.

Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,000 to $1,499, that's a yearly income of about $36,000 to $53,964.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Moving to Texas: before and after

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Texas DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: Texas voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

18 public school districts in this county, with about 744,862 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Houston Isd · Houston
189,934 students · 17.3 students per teacher · 274 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Cypress-Fairbanks Isd · Houston
118,010 students · 15 students per teacher · 91 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Aldine Isd · Houston
60,074 students · 17.1 students per teacher · 79 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Alief Isd · Houston
40,329 students · 13.6 students per teacher · 48 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Spring Isd · Houston
34,114 students · 15.1 students per teacher · 42 schools · grades Pre-K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

Texas keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$185/week
about $9,600 a year
$164/week
about $8,500 a year
Toddler (2)$172/week
about $8,900 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$167/week
about $8,700 a year
$153/week
about $8,000 a year
School-age$156/week
about $8,100 a year

For an infant at a center: $185/week here, $174 across TX, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 12% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in Texas →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

27 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Houston. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

Houston Community College · Houston
Public, 4-year · 49,749 students · $2,040 in-district, $5,460 out-of-state
University of Houston · Houston
Public, 4-year · 46,676 students · $9,711 in-state, $22,191 out-of-state
San Jacinto Community College · Pasadena
Public, 4-year · 31,494 students · $1,992 in-district, $5,352 out-of-state
University of Houston-Downtown · Houston
Public, 4-year · 14,105 students · $7,536 in-state, $17,472 out-of-state
Rice University · Houston
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 8,556 students · $58,128 a year

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$305,001
What a typical home sells for across the Houston area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Cost of living
About 1% below the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $99 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 98.6 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Average commute
30 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
2 within 15 miles
The nearest is about 9.2 miles from the town center. The largest is about 98,000 sq ft.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL), loaded July 2026
Homeowners insurance
About $4,085 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in TX. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Very High
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
23 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
14.9 per 100,000 people a year
748 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. TX average: 14.2 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 4.9 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 3,325 people without housing in the Houston, Pasadena, Conroe/Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery Counties area (3 counties): 2,043 in shelters and 1,282 outside, up from 3,280 in 2024. TX: 9 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$73,104
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
1.72% of home value a year
About $1,720 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
No state income tax
TX's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

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