Northpark Drive overpass, Kingwood
Northpark Drive is being widened to six lanes with a new overpass over the railroad tracks and Loop 494, one of the two main ways into Kingwood.
Community Impact, Feb 2026Houston Now
Why Houston, and what is being built.
What is drawing people here, what is under construction, what there is to do, and what to know before you move. Updated October 11, 2026.
Why people move here
The case for Houston
7.9 million
people in metro Houston as of July 2025, after adding nearly 127,000 residents in a year, the largest gain of any U.S. metro.
Greater Houston Partnership, Apr 2026No state income tax
Texas has no individual income tax.
Tax Foundation, 202627 Fortune 500 headquarters
on the 2026 list, tied for second among U.S. metros.
Greater Houston Partnership, June 2026120,000+ employees
at the Texas Medical Center, with about 10 million patient encounters a year.
Texas Medical Center62 million passengers
through Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports in 2025.
Houston Airports, Mar 20266.3% below average
Houston's cost of living compared with the national urban average, on the C2ER index.
Greater Houston Partnership, Sept 20261 in 4 residents
in the metro was born outside the United States.
Greater Houston Partnership, Dec 2025Largest U.S. port by tonnage
The Port of Houston anchors the region's trade and industrial jobs.
Port Houston, Aug 2026What is being developed
Projects shaping the region
North & Northeast
Lake Houston Dam spillway gates
A flood-mitigation project to add 11 gates to the Lake Houston dam so water can be released faster ahead of major storms.
Community Impact, Dec 2025Bush Intercontinental Terminal B
A $2.5 billion rebuild by United and Houston Airports, with a new 22-gate north concourse and 40 gates in all.
Houston Airports, Oct 2025FM 1960 widening, Humble and Atascocita
TxDOT has rebuilt FM 1960 as a six-lane divided road toward the Lake Houston bridge.
Community Impact, Feb 2026Grand Parkway widening, Spring to New Caney
TxDOT has proposed adding a lane each way on nearly seven miles of the Grand Parkway, plus new I-45 connectors.
TxDOT, Sept 2026Valley Ranch Azalea District, New Caney
The Signorelli Company broke ground on the final 328-acre residential expansion of Valley Ranch, with 359 homes and a healthcare-focused commercial district.
REjournals, Apr 2026The Ritz-Carlton Residences, The Woodlands
A 15-story condominium on Lake Woodlands by Howard Hughes.
PaperCity, Oct 2025Across the region
I-45 North Houston Highway Improvement Project
TxDOT is rebuilding I-45 and the downtown freeway system, a project now estimated at about $13 billion.
TxDOT project pageGeorge R. Brown Convention Center expansion
Houston First is adding a 700,000-square-foot south building with exhibit halls and a ballroom.
Courier Texas, Jan 2026TMC Helix Park
The Texas Medical Center's 37-acre research campus opened in 2023. A hotel and conference center are planned next.
Community Impact, Nov 2025Hobby Airport West Concourse
A $470 million expansion adding seven gates for domestic and international flights.
Houston Airports, Dec 2025Coastal Texas Project
The storm-surge barrier system for Galveston Bay, often called the Ike Dike.
KPRC, Dec 2025Energy headquarters
Devon Energy completed its merger with Houston-based Coterra, and the combined company is headquartered in Houston.
Greater Houston Partnership, Feb 2026Status is as reported by each source on the date shown. Schedules and budgets change, so check the source for the latest.
Things happening
Life in Houston
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
Late February into March at NRG Park.
Professional sports
Astros at Daikin Park, Rockets at Toyota Center, Texans at NRG Stadium, Dynamo and Dash at Shell Energy Stadium.
The Comets return
Houston's WNBA team is set to begin play at Toyota Center in the 2027 season.
World Cup city
NRG Stadium hosted seven matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Museum District
19 museums and cultural centers in one walkable district.
Theater District
17 downtown blocks, home to the Houston Grand Opera, Symphony and Ballet.
Space Center Houston
The visitor center for NASA's Johnson Space Center in Clear Lake.
The Woodlands Pavilion
Concerts and performing arts at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.
Through the year
Chevron Houston Marathon in January, Art Car Parade in April, Wings Over Houston in October, the Thanksgiving Day Parade in November.
Sources: City of Houston annual events Greater Houston Partnership, Mar 2026 Houston First KPRC, May 2026
Straight talk
What to know before you move
Property taxes
Texas makes up for no income tax with property taxes. The statewide effective rate on owner-occupied homes is about 1.4%, and local school and utility district rates vary widely.
Tax Foundation, 2026Home insurance
The average Texas homeowners premium was $3,291 in 2024, after several years of increases.
Texas Department of InsuranceFlooding
Hurricane Harvey flooded about 154,000 homes in Harris County in 2017, and a little under half were outside mapped floodplains. Flood history matters street by street.
Community Impact, June 2018Traffic
Houston-area roads made up 36 of the 100 most congested road segments in Texas in 2025. Where you live relative to work matters.
Spectrum News, Nov 2025Heat
Summers are long, hot and humid. Air conditioning is a necessity and a line in your budget.
Relocation
Moving to Houston? Start with where you will work.
I help relocating families choose an area first and a house second.