Houston Shows Improvement in New National List of Best Places to Live in 2024

Things are looking a little brighter for Houston as the city was recently named one of the 100 Best Places to Live. US News and World Reports List of “Best Places to Live” for 2024-2025.

Previously, H-Town dropped shockingly to the bottom of the list, to 140th in the 2023-2024 rankings. But the latest report places Houston at 97th, suggesting substantial improvements from last year.

US News measures 150 of America’s largest cities in terms of quality of life each year and ranks them based on four major indices: quality of life, value, desirability and job market.

New in the 2024-2025 report, US News updated its methodology to analyze city-based data rather than metro area data. Second, the report’s annual survey decided to give more weight to a city’s “value and job market”, while “the weights of desirability and quality of life fell slightly” on the rating scale.

“Growing concerns about career prospects, housing affordability and the rising cost of goods and services are reflected in this year’s rankings,” said US News loan expert and journalist Erika Giovanetti in a press release. “While quality of life remains the top priority for many Americans, the value of a city and the job market are becoming increasingly important to those looking for a place to live.”

Many factors attract people to Houston, including our city’s diversity, highly regarded schools, top universities and more. Houston is also a great place for retirees looking to settle down without compromising the big city lifestyle. The city truly has something to offer everyone.

The good news continues: Houston also moved up two spots to No. 8 on the list of Best Places to Live in Texas for 2024. Bayou City ranked No. 10 last year.

Elsewhere in Texas
The recent emphasis on city-based data has likely been a major factor fueling Houston’s improvement in statewide and national rankings, but it has also driven the evolution of nine other cities in Texas.

Austin — which previously ranked 40th in last year’s rankings — became the only city to represent the Lone Star State among the top 10 best places to live in 2024. The Texas capital jumped 31 spots to rank ranked 9th nationally, thanks to its “high results in terms of attractiveness and the labor market”, indicates the report.

Three cities in the Rio Grande Valley also rank higher than Houston, suggesting that South Texas might be a better place to live than East Texas. The border towns of McAllen (No. 48) and Brownsville (No. 87) moved into the top 100 overall this year after ranking No. 137 and No. 134 last year. Meanwhile, Corpus Christi fell from No. 132 last year to No. 77 in 2024.

Naples, Florida, took home gold as the best place to live in the United States in 2024. Rounding out the top five is Boise, Idaho (No. 2); Colorado Springs, Colo. (No. 3); Greenville, South Carolina (No. 4); and Charlotte, North Carolina (No. 5).

Here’s how other Texas cities fared in the 2024 Best Places to Live report:

• No. 62 – El Paso (up from No. 128 last year)
• No. 89 – San Antonio (vs. No. 103 last year)
• No. 95 – Dallas (against No. 113 last year)
• No. 99 – Beaumont (against No. 131 last year)
• No. 107 – Killeen (up from No. 122 last year)