About Houston, Texas 

• The first quarter 2008 ACCRA Cost of Living Index shows that Houston's housing costs are 26 percent below the nationwide average and 42 percent below the average for 26 metro areas of more than 2 million population.  Houston's overall living costs are 11 percent below the nationwide average and 21 percent below the large-metro average.
• In the first quarter of 2008, the average price for a new single-family detached home of 2,400 suare feet was $215,989.  During the same time period, Houston's average apartment rent was $0.858 per square foot per month.
  
• Mild year-round climate (average high temperatures: winter, 61 degrees; summer, 91 degrees; spring/autumn, 79 degrees).
• 519 parks, 122 open spaces, and 140 miles of hiking and biking trails; more than 12 state parks and recreation areas within a short drive.
• More than 500 cultural, visual and performing arts organizations, 90 devoted to multicultural and minority arts; more than 90 languages spoken.
• Permanent ballet, opera, symphony, and theater companies.
• Houston's Museum District is the fourth largest in the nation, with more than 30 museums, including the Menil Collection, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, The Children's Museum of Houston, and the Museum of Fine Arts (the 6th largest art museum in the nation).
• More than 60 colleges, universities, and other degree-granting institutions, including Rice University, the University of Houston, St. Thomas University, Houston Baptist University, and Texas Southern University.
• Professional teams in baseball, basketball, football, soccer, and hockey, and numerous collegiate teams.
• Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world and home to Baylor College of Medicine, UT Health Science Center, UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, among others.  The Houston region has 10,497 practicing physicians, 99 hospitals, and 18,190 hospital beds.
  
• More than 6,000 restaurants.