Best PlacesWest University, Houston, TX Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around West University, Houston, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Local pay runs high here, and housing takes the biggest bite out of it. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
West University, Houston ranks 598th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on what local pay buys by a wide margin, and disaster risk is the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in West University, Houston
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
West University, Houston's strengths and weaknesses
Where West University, Houston ranks high
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than 99% of neighborhoods
- Educational attainmentBetter than 98% of neighborhoods
- Household income$185,500 median, better than 98% of neighborhoods
- Health outlookBetter than 91% of neighborhoods
- State fiscal healthBetter than 88% of neighborhoods
Where West University, Houston ranks low
- Disaster safetyBetter than only 1% of neighborhoods
- Air qualityBetter than only 8% of neighborhoods
- Low property taxBetter than only 18% of neighborhoods
- Heat safetyBetter than only 23% of neighborhoods
- Crime safetyBetter than only 38% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in West University, Houston
A household needs to earn about $338,000 a year to comfortably buy the median West University, Houston home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $185,500, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses West University, Houston's effective rate of 1.45%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices and rents, renting stays cheaper than buying across the first 10 years here, so the case for buying rests on staying much longer or on prices rising faster than assumed. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in West University, Houston
West University, Houston's age mix sits close to the national median.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for West University, Houston.
Who works in West University, Houston, and how
Work in West University, Houston centers on health care & social and education. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 72%
- Work from home 20%
- Transit, walk, or bike 8%
Life in West University, Houston
West University, Houston has more parkland per resident than 68% of neighborhoods. The coast is about 29 minutes away. That concentrates in some parts of West University, Houston and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in West University, Houston, month by month
West University, Houston sees roughly 138 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 94 degrees. January highs sit near 64, with lows near 49. The comfortable stretch runs October through April.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 55° | 49° |
| April | 80° | 71° | 64° |
| July | 94° | 85° | 79° |
| October | 83° | 74° | 67° |
Flying in and out of West University, Houston
William P Hobby sits about 10 miles away. It is a medium hub and boarded 6.8 million passengers in 2025, with 101 nonstop destinations.
The best schools in and around West University, Houston
Schools across West University, Houston average a C+, better than 52% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- West University ElA+ · 85% proficient
- Twain ElA · 64% proficient
- Rice Sch /la Escuela RiceC · 34% proficient
Top middle schools
- Lanier MiddleA+ · 80% proficient
- Pershing MiddleB · 44% proficient
Top high schools
- Bellaire H SB+ · 55% proficient
- Lamar H SB+ · 54% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every West University, Houston school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
West University, Houston measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare West University, Houston against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Who West University, Houston suits
Remote workers
Cost of living against local pay beats 99% of neighborhoods, internet is fast and widely advertised, and 20% already work from home.
Retirees
The weather beats 70% of neighborhoods, health care access beats 80%, and it is quieter than 80%.
Common questions about living in West University, Houston
Is West University, Houston a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, West University, Houston ranks 598th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on what local pay buys, an educated workforce, and high incomes, and lowest on disaster risk and air quality. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is West University, Houston expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $1,188,675. The overall cost of living runs about 9% above the national average. Set against a $185,500 median income, cost of living beats 99% of neighborhoods.
Is West University, Houston safe?
West University, Houston is safer than 38% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $634 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in West University, Houston?
July highs average about 94 degrees, and January highs near 64 with lows near 49. That works out to about 138 pleasant days a year, more than 70% of neighborhoods.
Is West University, Houston good for families?
Schools beat 52% of neighborhoods, crime safety beats 38%, and childcare runs $842 a month.
Compare West University, Houston with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to West University, Houston. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in West University, Houston represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
West University, Houston detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for West University, Houston: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in West University, Houston: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of West University, Houston: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in West University, Houston: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
West University, Houston detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.