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

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.

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Houston startup acquired, plans to expand global medical device software solutions

exit this way

Houston-based Galen Data, a provider of cloud-based connectivity software for medical devices, has been acquired by health care-focused asset manager Lauxera Capital Partners. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

Lauxera, based in France, says the Galen Data acquisition complements its 2022 purchase of Germany-based Matrix Requirements, a provider of software for medical device R&D and quality control teams.

“The Galen team has built an exceptional product providing medical device companies a cost-effective, compliant, and secure solution for medical device cloud connectivity,” Samuel Levy, founding partner of Lauxera, says in a news release.

Chris DuPont, co-founder and CEO of Galen Data, says the Lauxera deal “empowers us to take our business to the next level and better serve our clients while pushing forward the innovation that’s at the core of everything we do.”

Chris DuPont is the co-founder and CEO of Galen Data. Photo via LinkedIn

Galen Data had raised $7.21 million in venture capital since its founding in 2016, according to PitchBook. Investors included the Texas HALO Fund, the Houston Angel Network, Tamiami Angel Fund IV, and Zeeland Ventures. As of November 2023, Galen Data was valued at $18 million, according to Dealroom.co.

Customers of Galen Data include Austin-based Cardi/o, Houston-based Delphi Diagnostics, Houston-based Future Caridia, Austin-based Harmonic Bionics, Houston-based Tienovix, and Houston-based Zibrio.

4 fast-growing Houston tech companies secure spots on Deloitte list

big wins

Deloitte’s annual North America Technology Fast 500 list includes four Houston companies this year — all boasting of significant growth.

For Houston, Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. took the highest-ranking spot at No. 101 (up from 108 previous year) with 1,184 percent growth. NatGas Hub LLC (No. 286, 407 percent growth), Liongard (No. 437, 246 percent growth), and Stratus Medical LLC (No. 483, 212 percent growth) also made the list, which is an annual ranking of the fastest-growing North American companies in technology, energy tech sectors, telecommunications, life sciences, media, and fintech.

"Houston continues to demonstrate its prowess in fostering growth and technological advancement and I’m incredibly proud to see some of our local companies making significant strides and earning their well-deserved spots on the 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list,” Houston managing partner at Deloitte Melinda Yee says in a news release.

Award winners were selected based on fiscal year revenue growth from 2019 to 2022.

The companies achieved revenue growth ranging from 201 percent to 153,625 percent over the three-year time frame with an average growth rate of 1,981 percent and a median growth rate of 460 percent, according to a news release. Texas accounts for 6 percent of the winning companies with 73 percent of the companies from Texas are in the software sector.

“These companies exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit and innovative mindset that define Houston's dynamic business ecosystem,” Yee adds.

In 2023, the Houston representation looked similar. Direct Digital Holdings again topped the Houston rankings at No. 108, with Liongard, NatGasHub.com, and P97 Networks also showing substantial growth. As a state, Texas had 30 companies that made the list of the 541 ranked. In 2022, just one Houston company was recognized, as at No. 372 Onit reported revenue increase of 369 percent.

Biopharmaceutical company TG Therapeutics, Inc. was the No.1 spot in 2024 with a growth rate of 153,625 percent from 2020 to 2023. See the full list here.

Play it back: How this Houston innovator is championing women in health tech

HOUSTON INNOVATORS PODCAST EPISODE 264

With her long-standing career in health care, Ayse McCracken knows women are integral in leading health care. That's why she started Ignite Healthcare Network — to help find, support, and champion female health tech founders.

Originally founded in 2017 as a pitch competition, Ignite has evolved to become an active and integral program for female health tech entrepreneurs. Last month, the organization hosted its annual Fire Pitch Competition, and six finalists walked away with awards. At the event, the founders pitched their health tech solutions across lung health, renal therapy, breastfeeding tech, and more.

Last year, McCracken joined the Houston Innovators Podcast to share her story of starting Ignite and how its evolved since, accelerating around 100 female founders and advancing life-saving health care technology.

"Success to me isn't just getting people an early stage investment," she says on the show. "Success to me is getting companies that actually commercialize, get their products in the market, and that they are actually making an impact on health wellbeing, patients, and so forth."

"Having an impact in the health care industry and finding solutions is important to me," McCracken adds. "The second aspect of that is there are so many women in health care, and yet you don't see them in leadership roles."