Contributed by Info Guru Paul Seaburn

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the nation and the biggest in the everything-is-bigger state of Texas.

The oil industry and Port of Houston make it an international city that still retains some of its cowboy and wildcatter charm and history.

Houston continues to grow outward geographically, but its extensive freeway system allows the new outlying neighborhoods to still be a reasonable commute from downtown. Meanwhile, older neighborhoods are changing to compete with them to attract new residents from across the nation and around the world. One of these ten best places to live in Houston is right for each of them.

10. Clear Lake City

Clear Lake City is the second-largest master-planned community in Houston, located southeast of the city. With its close proximity to Johnson Space Center and major aerospace companies, it’s an attractive community for engineers from that industry and Houston’s petrochemical companies. The adjacent Clear Lake is a popular boating and recreational spot.

Population: 130,422
Median resident age: 32.10 years
Median household income: $82,044
Median house or condo value: $891,199

9. Tanglewood

The Tanglewood subdivision is considered part of the Uptown Houston and Galleria areas, making it the sophisticated, upscale neighborhood and shopping area of Houston. Located just outside the west side of the I610 loop and minutes from downtown, the Tanglewood area is a mix of homes, office buildings, restaurants, retail centers and residential high-rises, allowing many residents to both live and work there. Those residents have included George H. W. and Barbara Bush and TV evangelist Joel Osteen.

Population: 13,070
Median resident age: 23.4 years
Median household income: $65,269
Median house or condo value: $1,085,169

8. West University Place

Locals refer to this little city located entirely inside Houston as West U. It’s 15 minutes from downtown and strategically located just blocks from Rice University, the world-renowned Houston Medical Center, Hermann Park and the Houston Museum District.

Population: 15,221
Median resident age: 41.4 years
Median household income: $180,511
Median house or condo value: $703,715

7. The Heights

The Houston Heights, known simply as The Heights, is 4 miles northwest of downtown Houston and inside the Interstate 610 “Loop” freeway that is the loosely-defined border of downtown. . Dating back to 1891, the Heights is experiencing a rejuvenation as historic homes are renovated, upscale boutiques and cafes are opening and young upper-class professionals flock there because of its close proximity to downtown offices.

Population: 41,486
Median resident age: 36 years
Median household income: $42,503
Median house or condo value: $234,080

6. River Oaks

River Oaks is one of the most affluent communities in the U.S. This beautiful neighborhood is ideally located between Uptown and Downtown Houston with lush greenery provided by the Buffalo Bayou and the River Oaks Country Club and golf course. The mansion-lined River Oaks Boulevard is considered to be one of the most beautiful thoroughfares in Texas.

Population: 7,755
Median resident age: 36 years
Median household income: $117,330
Median house or condo value: $906,066

5. Kingwood

Northeast of Houston on the border of Harris County, Kingwood is the first and largest master-planned community in the area and is known as the Livable Forest for its dense growth of pine, magnolia and other trees. Kingwood has over 75 miles of hike and bike trails, over 500 acres of nature preserves and parks and borders on Lake Houston, a recreational fishing, boating and wildlife lake that’s part of the Texas park system. The 25 villages that make up the community are a mix of both older and new development and are close to business centers, shopping and restaurants.

Population: 81,692
Median resident age: 37.2 years
Median household income: $77,527
Median house or condo value: $242,128

4. Montrose/Neartown

The Neartown neighborhood of Houston is more often referred to as the Montrose area for its main street, Montrose Boulevard, and is considered by many to be the Greenwich Village of Houston. Located just west of downtown, it is home to an eclectic mix of artists, musicians, business people and executives attracted to the area’s bistros, coffee shops, art galleries, boutiques and bookstores. Many of the older homes have been renovated and there are new town homes and apartments.

Population: 45,713
Median resident age: 27 years
Median household income: $57,087
Median house or condo value: $377,970

3. Spring Branch

The 30-square-mile neighborhood in west-northwest Houston known as Spring Branch is proof that Houston is more than oil and barbecue. Homes ranging from post World War II bungalows to 60’s ranches to half-million-dollar new constructions are filled with longtime residents and growing Asian and Hispanic families attracted to the superb Spring Brach school system. With its cultural diversity, the Spring Branch area is filled with restaurants catering to all ethnic tastes.

Population: 134,225
Median resident age: 36.4 years
Median household income: $57,391
Median house or condo value: $165,092

2. The Woodlands

The Woodlands is 27 miles north of downtown Houston but this densely wooded, master planned community is home to many who work there. It is both a beautiful residential area and a growing economic center with over 1,750 businesses ranging in size from Fortune 500 on down. The Town Center is walking and biking friendly and has a central waterway lined with shops and cafes connected to an outdoor music pavilion.

Population: 93,847
Median resident age: 39.5 years
Median household income: $105,398
Median house or condo value: $277,300

1. Sugar Land

Southwest of Houston on Interstate 59 in Fort bend County is Sugar Land, one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas. Named for the sugar plantation it once was, it is still home to Imperial Sugar Company as well as other Fortune 500 and smaller corporations, making it the largest economic center in the county. Sugar Land has been named Fittest City in Texas and has been highly ranked in lists of Safest Cities, Best Places To Live and Top U.S. Suburbs. With wide ethnic diversity, great schools and warm weather, Sugar Land is truly a great place to live in the greater Houston area.

Population: 82.480
Median resident age: 41.2
Median household income: $97.068
Median house or condo value: $260,500