Houston listed in top 20 ‘happiest’ cities
Cameron Palmer
The Signal
Home to more than 2 million people, 628 square miles of living space and holding the nicknames “Space City” and “The Big Heart,” Forbes magazine published an article ranking Houston number 20 on a list of the happiest cities for young professionals.
The survey was conducted by CareerBliss.com, an online career community dedicated to empowering people to find happier jobs and determine what factors come into play for young professionals’ happiness.
“Through our research, we have found that a positive company culture, which focuses on overall happiness and not just compensations, is key for young professionals,” stated Heidi Golledge on CareerBliss.com.
What is attracting all these young professionals to Houston? Is it the jobs? People? Diversity? Or perhaps the social opportunities it has to offer?
Turns out, it is all of the above.
A diverse population, cultural events, low living costs and a vast job market that continues to grow are few reasons why young professionals are relocating to Houston.
Houston has seen a job growth of 2.6 percent within the last year, which has attracted more people to relocate to Houston, especially young professionals.
Marketing, accounting, informational technology, engineering, energy, medical, project management, public relations, education, legal and paralegal are just a fraction of the job fields Houston has to offer.
Houston is the largest manufacturer of petrochemicals, home to NASA and has the world’s largest medical centers in the country.
“We have more jobs than most cities in the U.S,” said Chuck Crocker, associate director of Career Services at UHCL. “The growth in the energy business and our Medical Center is an attraction. Those industries tend to pay pretty well.”
With more than 92 thousand employees, 52 institutions and 280 buildings, the Texas Medical Center is one of the largest employers in Houston.
NASA alone employs more than 18 thousand people and contracts hundreds of thousands more for research and labor. In 2011, NASA was ranked fifth as one of the federal government’s top places to work.
Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA, Inc. is one of the largest integrated international oil and gas companies in Houston with operations in more than 130 countries worldwide and more than 96 thousand employees.
“I can speak to what I see here at UHCL, and it’s a broad range of wanting to work in energy and healthcare, which are Houston’s two top industries,” Crocker said. “Many want to go into education, information technology and nonprofit work.”
In addition to job opportunities, diversity is another factor that contributes to young professionals’ happiness.
“Houston’s diversity is one of its main attractions,” said Eva Newsom, marketing director at Burnett Specialists, Texas’ largest employee-owned staffing and placement firm. “Houston has whatever you’re looking for.”
Houston offers both cultural and social diversity with events such as the Houston International Festival, which celebrates international art, music and cuisine in Houston, to the world’s largest art car parade held every May.
Houston also hosts several conventions throughout the year that caters to a wide range of interests from guns to cars, tattoos, comics, boats, home and gardening.
“We have diversity in our sporting events, educational opportunities and recreational attractions,” Newsom said. “We have the world’s biggest rodeo and a world-class symphony orchestra.”
Besides available jobs and a diverse economy, living costs also play a part in young professionals’ happiness.
With the average house costing $118,200, Houston’s cost of living is 19.6 percent lower than the national average. The Greater Houston Partnership (GHP), one of the nation’s most influential business organizations, represents the interests of the Houston region’s enterprises – from the local entrepreneur to the global Fortune 500.
GHP states on its website that Houston’s home appreciation last year was 0.64 percent less than the rest of the U.S.
Houston has the lowest overall cost of living among the 29 metropolitan areas with more than two million people.
“Texas still has land available and isn’t as densely populated as the rest of the country,” said Chad Burke, president and CEO of the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region. “Young professionals are not relocating here because of the low living costs, they are moving here because of the jobs, and low living costs are just a byproduct.”
The U.S. Census Bureau reports the population of Houston grew by 50,000 from 2010-2011. The Perryman Group, an economic and financial analysis firm, reports nearly one million people are projected to relocate to Houston between 2011 and 2015.
