The Houston suburbs are little cities that are connected to Houston but are not actually part of the city itself.

We have over 65 of these suburban areas to choose from! There are many positive things about the Houston suburbs, but they’re not for everyone.

Here are some important factors to consider before making the big move to the Houston suburbs.

Politics

A common question people have is… What are the political stances like in the various suburbs around Houston? The answer is that it’s very diverse!

Houston as a whole is almost split down the middle, but leans slightly more blue according to the last presidential election statistics. This is also true for many of the suburbs, but there are some suburbs that lean redder.

No matter where you live in Houston, every neighborhood Facebook group has members from both camps that will make their position clear.

If you are interested in this particular topic, you can check out bestplaces.net where you can put in a zip code or city and learn more about the political data in that area.

Since there’s a pretty good mix of all political views, we give this a positive rating!

Commute

We have a saying here — “It takes an hour to get to Houston from Houston.”

This area is huge! If you’re living in the Houston suburbs, especially in a newer community, you’ll have at least a 30 to 45-minute commute to downtown. Of course, if you work remotely or within the area you live, this isn’t a big deal. After all, most of the suburban areas within Houston are cities themselves, so anything you would need on a daily basis from shopping to major hospitals will be very close by.

The same goes for traffic. Houston is a major city with typical traffic problems, and this is also true in a lot of the suburbs. The Woodlands and Katy are the worst for traffic to get in and out of those areas.

Overall, we give traffic in the Houston suburbs a negative rating, but only if you have to commute regularly.

Housing

Despite home prices continuing to rise in Houston and across the country, the Houston suburbs are still an affordable option with plenty of variety. When it comes to housing, we have everything from townhomes all the way to large equine estates. With homes in the suburbs, you’re going to get a lot more land and square footage for the same price as a house in the city.

We give housing in the Houston suburbs a positive rating!

Property Tax + HOAs

Houston has pretty high property tax, but it can be even worse in the suburbs. This is especially true if you’re looking at a newer home or a large community development. Although we do have high property taxes, the trade-off is that Texas does not have state income taxes.

Another thing you’ll see quite often in the Houston suburbs is HOAs. The fees tend to be higher than the national average, but are lower than those of condos in Downtown Houston. The amenities in some of these communities are like mini resorts, so it can make it worth the cost.

Overall, we give the property tax and HOA fees in the Houston suburbs a negative rating.

Schools

We have over 60 school districts within the Houston metro area, so picking one that is right for you and your family is no easy task. The benefit of having over 60 school districts is that you have a lot of options for schools in the suburbs, and a lot of these districts are ‘A’ rated in terms of academics, athletics, and diversity.

We definitely give schools in the Houston suburbs a positive rating!

Diversity

An important question a lot of potential new Houstonians want to know is if the Houston suburbs are diverse, and the answer is yes! Houston was recently rated as the most diverse city in America, and these statistics spill over into the suburbs and surrounding counties.

We give the diversity of the Houston suburbs a positive rating!

Distance to Downtown

Living in the Houston suburbs, you’re farther away from downtown and some of the cool things that Houston has to offer. You also lose some walkability that just can’t be replicated outside of a city’s center.

The good news is that a lot of our suburbs are getting trendier by the day, and a lot of them will have everything from world-class shopping to some of the best breweries and barbecue in Texas.

Overall, we give the walkability and distance to downtown a negative rating.

Are the Houston Suburbs a good fit for you?

If you’re looking for a mix of political views, great housing options, quality schools, and a diverse area, the Houston suburbs would be a great choice for you.

Are you thinking of moving to the Houston area and curious about building a new home or living in the Houston suburbs? Get in touch! We’ll make the home building, buying, and selling process as seamless as possible for your family.