The entire area in and around Houston is being confirmed as containing some of the best new places to live in Texas. Fort Bend County, Galveston County, Chambers County, Montgomery County, and Harris County are all prime growth communities with the particular and distinct advantage of including master-planned communities that allow for all the best amenities for all types of citizens in the community.

For example, transportation both for automobiles and for mass or public transit is included in the planning, not only at the time of building, but for the future as well. This means that such factors as best land use and best use of dwindling natural resources - including energy and petroleum fuels - are taken into consideration.

The best new places to live in Texas look at encompassing people of all age groups and economic status. Senior citizens may be able to do less driving, which is one of the reasons for good mass transit systems and good medical and health facilities nearby. By the same token, young families are generally desirous of quality education for their children. This includes education facilities and educators all the way from preschool through to university graduation. This part of Texas shines at both ends of the educational spectrum, with some of the top-ranked schools in the state located in the Greater Houston Area.

The best places will be those where the cost of living is affordable in order to allow families to not only meet basic necessities such as food, clothing, transportation, and shelter, but also to have a little left over (disposable income) to afford some of the area's exciting recreational opportunities. In this part of Texas, the per capita income is higher and the cost of living is lower than in any other metropolitan area of the United States. Grocery costs, for example, are a full 25 percent lower than other urban population centers. Taxes are lower and housing prices are among the lowest in the nation for urban areas.

The best places to live take due consideration to recreational activities. Many of the planned communities are built on or near a golf course. Often there are water parks or amusement parks incorporated right into the community so that families have safe and wholesome activities available nearby. Green ways, parks, and nature trails are also a significant part of most planned communities. In the Greater Houston Area, there are literally hundreds of parks, recreation centers, and nature trails to explore and the number is growing constantly.