How Houston Ranks in the Latest Places Rated Almanac
In the seventh edition (2007) of the Places Rated Almanac, the Houston metro area has a mean score of 67, where zero is the worst score and 100 is the best score. Overall, it ranked 48th out of 379 metro areas in its composite score for best metro area.
Below are the specific rankings from worst to best (scores are normalized so that the average in all categories is 50).
"Ambience" includes bookstores and reading, visible history (e.g., landmarks), lively arts, and population characteristics (e.g., affluence, diversity, and education).
| Category | Houston Score (100=Best) |
| Crime | 24 |
| Climate | 39 |
| Housing | 49 |
| Health Care | 51 |
| Education | 63 |
| Ambience | 84 |
| Recreation | 96 |
| Jobs | 99 |
| Transportation | 99 |
Of the five largest metro areas in the U.S., only Chicago has a worse crime score:
| Metro Area | Crime Score (100=Best) | Population Rank |
| Chicago | 2 | 3 |
| Houston | 24 | 4 |
| Atlanta | 33 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | 36 | 2 |
| New York | 64 | 1 |
Under the climate category, the Places Rated Almanac gives Houston a "1" for summer weather, reflecting its hot, muggy climate.
Latest posts in Houston
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