Here’s Texas' Best Place To Live In

HOUSTON, TX -- The best place to live in Texas is apparently West University Place, located in Harris County. That’s according to a new report from the financial news and opinion site 24/7 Wall St., which determined the best city to live in every state.

The authors acknowledged that while many things factor into what makes a place “home,” some specific attributes are commonly shared and “universally desirable.” These include essentials like safe streets, a strong local economy, affordability and diverse entertainment options.

Here’s a breakdown of CITY:

• Population: 15,318
• 5 year population change: +4.0 percent
• Median home value: $917,800
• Median household income: $220,868

Here’s what the authors had to say:

“A dollar also goes far in the city as goods and services are about 5 percent less expensive than they are nationwide on average. In addition to entertainment and culture in nearby Houston, West University has a far greater concentration of restaurants, bars, fitness centers, museums and theatre companies than is typical nationwide. West University is also a safe city with a strong job market. The city’s violent crime rate of 64 incidents for every 100,000 people is among the lowest in the nation, as is the five-year average unemployment rate of 2.7 percent.”

Most of the best cities to live in were relatively affluent. That includes Paradise Valley, dubbed the best place to live in Arizona, where the median home value is north of $1.3 million — more than seven times the national median. The median household in the town earns an income of $173,487.

To identify the best cities to live in, the researchers created a weighted index of more than two dozen measures in four categories: affordability, economy, quality of life and community. Some of the measures include ratio of median home value to median income, cost of living, unemployment rate, poverty rate, food insecurity rate, death rate and violent crime rate.

But several cities and towns were much more modest.

Batesville, Arkansas, was highlighted specifically because it’s so affordable and has various attractions and amenities. The median household in the city earns $42,143 a year, while the median home is worth $120,400.

“With roots as far back as 1804, Batesville is the second oldest city in Arkansas,” the authors noted. “The city, which avoided destruction in the Civil War, has a number of historic buildings and sites. There are attractions in the area for nearly every taste and preference, including antique stores, art galleries, an annual film festival, and the Batesville Motor Speedway.”

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

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