By the numbers: Houston rankings dominate top lifestyle stories for 2024

year in review

These were the top lifestyle innovation stories on InnovationMap this year. Photo by Leo Yao on Unsplash

Editor's note: As the year comes to a close, InnovationMap is looking back at the year's top stories in Houston innovation. In the lifestyle category on InnovationMap, report-driven stories related to life in Houston dominated this section on InnovationMap in 2024. Be sure to click through to read the full story.


Houston dazzles as most diverse large city in U.S., report says

Houston is the No. 4 most diverse city in the U.S. Photo via Getty Images

Living in a multicultural city comes with many benefits. Diverse communities bring new perspectives, greater versatility, and economic boosts, to name a few. And according to a new study by WalletHub, Houston is among the most diverse places in the nation.

Houston is getting some time in the spotlight in WalletHub's annual ranking of the "Most Diverse Cities in the U.S. (2024)," maintaining its position as the No. 1 most diverse large city in America, and the No. 4 overall most diverse. The report compared 501 U.S. cities across 13 metrics in five categories that encompass "diversity" across socioeconomic, cultural, economic, household, and religious factors. Continue reading.

Texas flunks out in new ranking of America's best school systems

Texas has the 29th best public school system in the U.S., according to WalletHub. Photo via Pexels

Texans may think everything here is bigger and better, but the Lone Star State has fallen behind many other states in America when it comes to ensuring the academic success of its children, according to a new report by personal finance website WalletHub.

Texas landed a middling rank as No. 29 in WalletHub's annual "States with the Best and Worst School Systems (2024)" report, earning a score of 49.86 out of 100 total possible points. Continue reading.

Booming Houston suburb, other Texas towns among the fastest-growing U.S. cities in 2023

Here's how Texas towns stacked up on a new population report. Photo via Getty Images

One Houston suburb experienced one of the most rapid growth spurts in the country last year: Fulshear, whose population grew by 25.6 percent, more than 51 times that of the nation’s growth rate of 0.5 percent. The city's population was 42,616 as of July 1, 2023.

According to U.S. Census Bureau's Vintage 2023 Population Estimates, released Thursday, May 16, Fulshear — which lies west of Katy in northwest Fort Bend County - ranked No. 2 on the list of fastest-growing cities with a population of 20,000 or more. It's no wonder iconic Houston restaurants like Molina's Cantina see opportunities there. Continue reading.

Here's how much it takes to earn a top 1 percent salary in Texas

Texans now need to make $130,241 more in 2024 to maintain their status as one of the highest earners in the state. Photo via Getty Images

With two Houston-area neighbors cashing in among the most wealthy suburbs in America, Houstonians may be wondering how much money they need to make to secure a place in the top one percent of earners. According to a new study from SmartAsset, the pre-tax salary required to be considered one of the highest earners in Texas amounts to $762,090 in 2024.

Texas has the 14th highest pre-tax salary needed to be considered in the top one percent of earners in the U.S. for the second year in a row. Texas' income threshold is not too far off from the national average, which is $787,712. Continue reading.

Report: Houstonians need $12K more to live comfortably than they did last year

It's not all bad for the Bayou City, but if you're making the same as last year, you're probably feeling the pinch. Photo via Getty Images

As inflation and the cost of living rise in most places around the United States, so does the amount of money a resident needs to live comfortably. But Houstonians are faring far better than residents of some of the biggest cities in America.

Houston requires the lowest salary needed to live comfortably in 2024, according to a new SmartAsset report. Specifically, they say, Houston ranks No. 1 for "the lowest annual salary needed for a single adult to live in sustainable comfort using the 50/30/20 budgeting rule" — that is, 50 percent of a salary allocated toward needs (housing, groceries, transportation); 30 percent toward wants (entertainment and hobbies); and 20 percent toward paying off debt, saving, or investing.

Houstonians need to make $75,088 individually to lead a comfortable lifestyle and avoid living paycheck to paycheck, or a $36.10 hourly wage, says the report, which analyzed 99 major U.S. cities. Continue reading.

Bunker Hill Village is a coveted address in the Houston area. Photo courtesy of Compass

Affluent Houston enclave is the richest small town in Texas for 2024

elite address

An upscale Houston community is home to the richest residents in Texas: Bunker Hill Village, a historically affluent Memorial neighborhood, was crowned the richest small town in Texas in a 2024 report.

The analysis, by loan provider TitleMax, determined the richest small towns in all 50 states using median household income data from the U.S. Census Bureau. In Bunker Hill Village, the median household income is about $250,000, the report says.

In addition to being the wealthiest town in the Lone Star State, Bunker Hill Village ranked as the No. 8 wealthiest small town in America.

Of course, "small town" is a bit of a misnomer for Bunker Hill Village. Situated 13 miles west of downtown Houston, Bunker Hill joins five other communities – Hunters Creek, HiIlshire, Hedwig, Piney Point, and Spring Valley – to make up Houston's iconic Memorial Villages. In 2023, Bunker Hill was ranked the third-most expensive Houston neighborhood, with homes on the market for upwards of $2.7 million.

Notably, the area is home to Houston's only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house.

"We are very proud of our quiet, wooded environment, and as a community, we work hard to preserve it for future generations," the city's website says.

The study found that more than half (56.5 percent) of the 1,250-home community make over $200,000 a year, while the enclave's median household income amounts to $247,188.

To put that into perspective, TitleMax revealed that the national median household income is $67,521. The Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey estimates the median income of a household in Texas came out to $75,780 in 2023.

Bunker Hill joins the likes of Houston's Bellaire and West University Place as some of the most affluent suburbs in America.

The San Jose, California suburb of Monte Sereno took the No. 1 spot in the ranking for the wealthiest small town in America. Monte Sereno's median household income is more than $250,000, according to the report.

"While many people consider cities to be the epicenters of the rich, many retreat to small towns that offer safety, beauty, and privacy," the report's author wrote.

These are the top 10 wealthiest small towns in America, with their median household incomes:

  • No. 1 – Monte Sereno, California ($250,000-plus)
  • No. 2 – Cherry Hills Village, Colorado ($250,000-plus)
  • No. 3 – Mission Hills, Kansas ($250,000-plus)
  • No. 4 – Short Hills, New Jersey ($250,000-plus)
  • No. 5 – Scarsdale, New York ($250,000-plus)
  • No. 6 – Belle Meade, Tennessee ($250,000-plus)
  • No. 7 – Glencoe, Illinois ($248,851)
  • No. 8 – Bunker Hill Village, Texas ($247,188)
  • No. 9 – Clyde Hill, Washington ($238,958)
  • No. 10 – Chevy Chase Village, Maryland ($238,333)
The full report can be found on titlemax.com.

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

The Ivy League of the South has done it once again. Photo via Rice University

Houston's Rice University tops new 2025 list of best colleges in Texas

report

The most prestigious higher education institution in Houston has done it again: Rice University has topped WalletHub's 2025 list of the best colleges and universities in Texas for 2025.

The just-released list analyzed more than 800 colleges and universities in the United States using 30 metrics to determine their rankings.

Rice claimed the No. 1 spot in Texas and in WalletHub's regional category of best universities in the South. The school also ranked as the No. 6 best college nationwide.

Rice earned first place in the category for the "best" (or lowest) on-campus crime rates, and ranked 13th for its gender and racial diversity. The school ranked No. 24 in the category for net cost. According to U.S. News and World Report, tuition and fees at Rice cost $60,709 per year. Rice also has an acceptance rate of eight percent, earning the university No. 27 in the category for admission rates.

Here's how WalletHub broke down the rest of Rice's ranking, where No. 1 is the best and No. 49 is the worst:

  • No. 26 – Student-faculty ratio
  • No. 43 – Graduation rate
  • No. 47 – Post-attendance median salary
Rice's recent accolades add to an ongoing winning streak of high rankings. In September, the private university ranked as the No. 1 best Texas college for 2025 by U.S. News, and ranked No. 18 nationally. Education information and review platform Niche also recently ranked Rice the 15th best college in the country and the No. 1 best in Texas for 2025. And Forbes named Rice No. 9 in its 2024-25 list of top U.S. colleges.In the spring, Rice's Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business ranked No. 2 in the national publication's ranking of the best graduate schools in Texas.

The only other Houston university to earn a spot in WalletHub's report was the University of Houston, earning No. 12 in Texas and No. 288 nationally.

The top five universities that outranked Rice in the national rankings were Princeton University (No. 1), Yale University (No. 2), Harvard University (No. 3), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (No. 4), and Dartmouth College (No. 5).

The top 10 colleges and universities in Texas are:

  • No. 1 – Rice University
  • No. 2 – The University of Texas at Austin
  • No. 3 – Trinity University
  • No. 4 – Texas A&M University-College Station
  • No. 5 – Southwestern University
  • No. 6 – Texas Christian University
  • No. 7 – Austin College
  • No. 8 – Texas A&M International University
  • No. 9 – University of Dallas
  • No. 10 – Southern Methodist University
The full report can be found on wallethub.com

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

It's never too early to start thinking about the holiday shopping season. Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

Texas ranks No. 5 worst state for package delays in U.S., report says

out for delivery

One of the biggest headaches of online shopping and package shipping is the potential for delivery issues, and Texas is among the worst places for them, according to a new study.

Online retailer Overnight Glasses determined that Texas is the No. 5 worst state for package delays, based on a nationwide analysis of internet searches regarding delayed or lost packages, statewide United States Postal Service (USPS) performances, and freight flows per capita.

The data showed Texas had the highest freight flow compared to the rest of the U.S., raking in $3.64 billion. But the state’s massive population is a major factor contributing to “logistical challenges,” as shown in Texas’ local USPS performance rates.

“The USPS performance rate in Texas at an average 65 percent, and issues with timely deliveries, as reflected in the search value of 85.0 gives the state a high position in the ranking,” the report said.

Given the vast number of packages being sent through Texas’ delivery infrastructure, it’s safe to say Santa's going to be working overtime to fulfill the online orders for Houston's biggest spenders over the holidays.

The absolute worst place in the U.S. for package delays was North Dakota, which ranked as the No. 1 worst state for package delays.

The study found residents frequently search delivery issue terms such as “package delayed” or “order not delivered,” which doesn’t bode well for a state with a population of just 783,000.

“In today’s world, where everyone expects quick deliveries, even small hiccups can lead to a lot of frustration,” an Overnight Glasses spokesperson said. “I think this study highlights a real need for companies to invest in better, more flexible logistics networks, especially in states where freight flow is high.”

The best state for getting your packages delivered in a timely manner was Hawaii, followed by Oklahoma, West Virginia, Maryland, and Mississippi.

The top 10 worst U.S. states for package delivery issues are:

  • No. 1 – North Dakota
  • No. 2 – Georgia
  • No. 3 – Illinois
  • No. 4 – New York
  • No. 5 – Texas
  • No. 6 – Wyoming
  • No. 7 – Washington
  • No. 8 – Virginia
  • No. 9 – Massachusetts
  • No. 10 – South Carolina

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

Texas has the most utility-scale solar capacity installed and is home to 20 percent of the overall U.S. solar fleet. Photo via Getty Images

Texas outshines California, takes top spot on new solar energy ranking

report

For the first time, Texas has passed California in the second quarter of 2024 to become the top solar state in the country.

The American Clean Power Association's quarterly market report found that, by adding 3,293 megawatts of new solar year-to-date, Texas has the most utility-scale solar capacity installed, comprising 20 percent of the overall U.S. solar fleet. The American Clean Power Association, which represents over 800 energy storage, wind, utility-scale solar, transmission, and clean hydrogen companies, found that Texas is home to 21,932 megawatts of capacity.

By utilizing clean energy initiatives, Texas included 1.6 gigawatts of new solar, 574 megawatts of storage, and 366 megawatts of onshore wind. With more than 28,000 megawatts, Texas had the highest volume of clean power development capacity in the second quarter. About 163,000 megawatts of capacity overall are in the works throughout the United States. Texas ranks No. 1 for total operating wind capacity and total operating solar capacity, and comes in second for operating storage capacity.

Texas again led in production levels with clean power construction projects nationally, which boasts more than 19,000 megawatts worth of clean power energy currently under construction. With almost 28.3 gigawatts in advanced development or under construction, Texas continues to come in at No.1, as California is next with over 16.4 gigawatts in the state’s project pipeline.

California added more than 1,900 megawatts of new clean power capacity in the second quarter, with its clean energy development behavior leaning more towards adding storage, which amounts to 60 percent of California’s year-to-date clean power installations.

According to the report from SmartAsset, the Lone Star State has the most clean energy capacity at 56,405 megawatts due to its sheer size for solar capacity, but continues to trail states with similar geographic characteristics in overall clean energy prevalence.

Another report published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, says Texas will make up 35 percent of new utility-scale solar capacity in the U.S. this year, followed by California (10 percent) and Florida (6 percent).

While Texas’ solar efforts have shown positive trends, the state ranked No. 38 in a report by WalletHub that determined it was the thirteenth least green state.

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This article originally ran on EnergyCapital.

Houston lands in the No. 7 spot for growth in the granting of degrees in biological and biomedical sciences. Photo by Natalie Harms/InnovationMap

New report ranks Houston top market for life sciences

in the top 10

Thanks in large part to producing hundreds of college-trained professionals, Houston’s life sciences industry ranks among the top U.S. markets for talent in 2024.

In a report published by commercial real estate services company CBRE, Houston lands in the No. 7 spot for growth in the granting of degrees in biological and biomedical sciences. From 2017 to 2022, Houston notched a growth rate of 32.4 percent in this category.

In 2022, the University of Houston led the higher education pack in the region, graduating 746 people with a bachelor’s degree or above in biological or biomedical sciences, according to the report.

“For years, our team has seen the positive effect that the increase in degreed life sciences professionals has had on the Houston life sciences sector,” Nelson Udstuen, senior vice president of CBRE’s healthcare and life sciences practice group in Houston, says in a news release. “This is the result of the rigorous investment and recruitment in place by several of our region’s finest academic institutions.”

Houston ranks within the top 15 across the report’s three subcategories: No. 4 in manufacturing talent, No. 12 in R&D, and No. 14 in medtech talent. Houston is one of 16 markets appearing within the top 25 for all three subsectors.

Manufacturing, Houston’s highest-rated life sciences talent subsector, includes drug manufacturing as well as cell and gene therapy. The report tallies 38,370 workers in the manufacturing segment, with more than two-thirds of them (37 percent) employed as inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers.

The report also identifies 15,690 R&D specialists and 32,170 medtech professionals in the Houston life sciences market.

For the report, CBRE evaluated various criteria for the 100 largest U.S. for life sciences labor.

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Houston investor on why 2025 will be the year of exits

houston innovators podcast episode 270

Samantha Lewis will be the first to admit that the past few years have been tough on startups and venture capital investors alike. However, as she explains on the Houston Innovators Podcast, the new year is expected to look very different.

"We're super excited going into 2025," says Lewis, who is a partner at Houston-based VC firm Mercury. "For us, 2024 was a year of laying a lot of groundwork for what we believe is going to be a massive year of startup exits and liquidity for the venture ecosystem. We've been hard at work making sure our companies are prepared for that."

Mercury, in fact, has already gotten a taste, with three of its portfolio companies celebrating exits — all with Houston roots. Fintech platform Brassica was acquired by BitGo in February, and Apparatus, founded as Topl in Houston, was acquired early last year. The third deal has yet to be announced publicly.

And it's just getting started, Lewis says. She explains that all of the companies in Mercury's portfolio that are promising — albeit not break-out, to-be-billion-dollar companies — are going to have opportunities to sell in 2025 and 2026.

"What we've started to do — and I encourage everyone to do this if you're working on a startup — is just start to just engage with strategic buyers, investment bankers, and people you think might be a great fit to buy your company," Lewis says, "because we really think that the next few years will be the best liquidity years we've seen in a really long time. And if you're not ready for it, you're going to miss the boat."

In addition to sharing her advice to get "exit preparedness," Lewis explains some specific tech trends she's keeping an eye on in Mercury's "power theme," which she works on directly. This encompasses fintech, blockchain, web3 and more.

SpaceX loses mega rocket in latest thrilling Starship test flight

Testing

SpaceX launched its Starship rocket on its latest test flight Thursday, but the spacecraft was destroyed following a thrilling booster catch back at the pad.

Elon Musk’s company said Starship broke apart — what it called a “rapid unscheduled disassembly." The spacecraft's six engines appeared to shut down one by one during ascent, with contact lost just 8 1/2 minutes into the flight.

The spacecraft — a new and upgraded model making its debut — was supposed to soar across the Gulf of Mexico from Texas on a near loop around the world similar to previous test flights. SpaceX had packed it with 10 dummy satellites for practice at releasing them.

A minute before the loss, SpaceX used the launch tower's giant mechanical arms to catch the returning booster, a feat achieved only once before. The descending booster hovered over the launch pad before being gripped by the pair of arms dubbed chopsticks.

The thrill of the catch quickly turned into disappointment for not only the company, but the crowds gathered along the southern tip of Texas.

“It was great to see a booster come down, but we are obviously bummed out about [the] ship,” said SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot. “It’s a flight test. It’s an experimental vehicle," he stressed.

The last data received from the spacecraft indicated an altitude of 90 miles and a velocity of 13,245 mph.

Musk said a preliminary analysis suggests leaking fuel may have built up pressure in a cavity above the engine firewall. Fire suppression will be added to the area, with increased venting and double-checking for leaks, he said via X.

The 400-foot rocket had thundered away in late afternoon from Boca Chica Beach near the Mexican border. The late hour ensured a daylight entry halfway around the world in the Indian Ocean. But the shiny retro-looking spacecraft never got nearly that far.

SpaceX had made improvements to the spacecraft for the latest demo and added a fleet of satellite mockups. The test satellites were the same size as SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites and, like the spacecraft, were meant to be destroyed upon entry.

Musk plans to launch actual Starlinks on Starships before moving on to other satellites and, eventually, crews.

It was the seventh test flight for the world’s biggest and most powerful rocket. NASA has reserved a pair of Starships to land astronauts on the moon later this decade. Musk’s goal is Mars.

Hours earlier in Florida, another billionaire’s rocket company — Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin — launched the newest supersized rocket, New Glenn. The rocket reached orbit on its first flight, successfully placing an experimental satellite thousands of miles above Earth. But the first-stage booster was destroyed, missing its targeted landing on a floating platform in the Atlantic.

Houston private equity firm beats target on first investment fund

fresh funds

Houston-based private equity firm Sallyport has raised $160 million for its first investment fund, exceeding the target amount by $10 million.

The Sallyport Partners Fund focuses primarily on investments in founder- and family-owned businesses, corporate carve-outs and startups in various industries.

The firm’s chairman, Doug Foshee, seeded the fund. He and managing partners Kyle Bethancourt and Ryan Howard started the firm in 2023.

“Sallyport Partners Fund was created to utilize the proven processes our team has developed over time to generate value for like-minded investors on a larger and more impactful scale,” Foshee says in a news release.

Investors in the Sallyport fund include entrepreneurs, business executives and influential Texas families. Aside from Foshee, names of the fund’s investors weren’t disclosed.

“We are deeply committed to working hand-in-hand with management teams to drive transformative growth and generate long-term value,” says Bethancourt. “Our operational capabilities are forged from decades of firsthand experience leading, investing in, and building thriving businesses from the ground up. We have a unique appreciation for the management team’s perspective because we’ve been in their shoes.”

Those shoes have covered some pretty impressive ground:

  • Foshee is former chairman, president, and CEO of Houston-based El Paso Corp., which owned and operated a 44,000-mile natural gas pipeline network. In 2012, El Paso merged with Houston-based pipeline company Kinder Morgan in a multibillion-dollar deal.
  • Before Sallyport, Bethancourt was a vice president in the credit division of Blackstone, an investment powerhouse with more than $1 trillion in assets under management. Earlier, he worked at D.E. Shaw & Co., a New York City-based hedge fund with more than $65 billion in assets under management.
  • Before Sallyport, Howard worked at Platform Partners, a Houston-based private equity firm. Earlier, he worked for the natural resources arm of investment banking giant Goldman Sachs.
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