Advantages & Disadvantages of Retiring in Houston

You think about spending your retirement in Houston but want to get additional information about the city, overall quality of life, living costs, housing situation, entertainment options and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of retiring in Houston in the following chapters.

Retire in Houston – Overview

Reasons to Retire in Houston

1. Nice summers in Houston
2. Winters are not too cold
3. Houston is located at the coast
4. Nice landscape around Houston
5. Lots of entertainment for pensioners in Houston
6. You can watch many sports games
7. Many senior centers in Houston
8. Decent bars to hang out with other retirees
9. You can spend lots of time outdoors
10. Many recreational areas make Houston attractive to pensioners
11. Rents are still affordable for many retirees in Houston
12. Housing shortage is not as severe as in other metropolitan areas
13. Good public transport in Houston near the city center
14. Good medical infrastructure in Houston
15. Pensioners find most things within walking distance
16. You may not even need a car to get around
17. Good internet connection in Houston
18. Easy for your loved ones to visit you in Houston
19. Many good restaurants in Houston
20. Houston has high overall quality of life
21. Retiring in Houston will be attractive for many decades
22. Your loved ones will envy you for retiring in Houston

Nice summers in Houston

One advantage of retiring in Houston is that you will be able to enjoy pretty nice summers.

In fact, summers in Houston are pretty hot and if you are a sun lover, you will really enjoy your time in this place since you will not have to deal with rain much and can tan your skin on a regular basis.

Winters are not too cold

Not only summers are great in Houston, but also winters are pretty mild and while people living in Chicago often have to wear heavy coats when getting outdoors during winter months, you in Houston will often be able to hang out with just a shirt outdoors and can enjoy warm weather.

Houston is located at the coast

You should also note that Houston is located at the coast and this means that you can do many nice water sports or just relax at the beach and this can be great for pensioners since the beach is usually free and retirees can spend many hours in those beautiful places without having to pay anything for it.

Nice landscape around Houston

Not only does Houston have nice beaches but you can also enjoy beautiful nature in and around Houston.

For instance, since Houston is surrounded by lakes and forests, you can go fishing or many other nature activities and will never run out of ideas in this regard.

Lots of entertainment for pensioners in Houston

You will also have more than enough entertainment options in Houston. Pensioners can go to museums, go to the movies or do many other things you may be used to from other big cities and there are also many places where you can socialize and meet other people of your age so you will never feel lonely in the long run.

You can watch many sports games

Retiring in Houston can also be great since there are many great sports teams in the Houston region and if you are a sports fan, you can watch games live in person almost every day and will never run out of options.

Many senior centers in Houston

Another upside to retiring in Houston is that there are many senior centers where you can hang out and meet other like-minded people of your age.

You can also play parlor games or do other things to spend your leisure and to have company instead of just sitting at home and watching TV.

Decent bars to hang out with other retirees

There are also many good bars and other locations where you can hang out with people of your age and can discuss latest news and have discussions about what’s going on in the world so you can share your opinion and can feel like contributing to society.

You can spend lots of time outdoors

Since you will be able to enjoy pretty good weather in Houston most of the time, retirees can also spend lots of time outdoors and this can be great since many of those nature activities will be free and since many pensioners are on a relatively tight budget, doing free things can be a big relief from a financial point of view and can also keep you fit in the long run.

Many recreational areas make Houston attractive to pensioners

Houston also has more than enough parks and other recreational spaces where you can hang out and really enjoy your time as a retiree without being distracted by traffic noise or other sources of noise pollution.

Rents are still affordable for many retirees in Houston

Compared to other big metropolitan areas, rents in Houston are still affordable for many pensioners.

In fact, while many retirees living in NYC often struggle to pay rent in a reliable manner, pensioners in Houston have a much easier time in this regard since they simply don’t have to spend as much money on housing.

Housing shortage is not as severe as in other metropolitan areas

While housing shortage is a problem in Houston, it is still not as severe as in many other big cities in the US and many retirees therefore don’t have to worry about losing their homes as much as in other regions where competition in the housing market is even higher.

Good public transport in Houston near the city center

Another benefit of retiring in Houston is that public transport is pretty decent, at least if you live close to the city center. Consequently, you can get around by bus or other means of public transport in an efficient manner.

Good medical infrastructure in Houston

There are also many good doctors and hospitals in the Houston region and in case you get sick, you can be sure to find really good medical treatment so you can get cured of your disease in the best possible manner.

Pensioners find most things within walking distance

If you live close enough to the city center, distances are pretty short and you will find most things you need for daily life within walking distance and this can be great for pensioners since they often can’t walk long distances anymore and need to have all important things close to their homes.

You may not even need a car to get around

Since public transport is pretty decent and you will find most things you need within walking distance, you may not even need a car to get around and this can be great for retirees since many of them are no longer able to drive a car in a safe manner and rather like to rely on alternative means of transport.

Good internet connection in Houston

You will also have an excellent internet connection in Houston and this can be great since you can chat and make video calls with your loved ones on a regular basis and can therefore stay in touch with your family and friends from other parts of the US.

Easy for your loved ones to visit you in Houston

Since Houston has a big international airport, your loved ones will also have a pretty easy time visiting you since they will find many direct connections to Houston and since Houston is also a pretty popular city, chances are that your family and friends will visit you in this place quite often and that you will never feel lonely.

Many good restaurants in Houston

There are also many decent restaurants in Houston and if you have the money, you can have many really good culinary experiences and can really enjoy the last chapter of your life in Houston.

Houston has high overall quality of life

Since weather is great and you will find everything you need to live a happy and comfortable life, overall quality of life in Houston is pretty high and many pensioners from all over the US consider moving to Houston.

Retiring in Houston will be attractive for many decades

Since Houston is the biggest city in Texas, it will also stay an important place to live for many decades and you therefore don’t have to worry that too many people will leave this region anytime soon and you will have more than enough people of your age to hang out with.

Your loved ones will envy you for retiring in Houston

Since Houston is a pretty popular city, many people will envy and also admire you for your plans of retiring in Houston and you can therefore be a role model and also tell other people about the pros and cons of retiring in Houston so they are better able to decide whether they still want to retire in this place or rather want to spend the last chapter of their lives in a different city.

Now that you know the reasons for retiring in Houston, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of retiring in Houston so you will have a much better idea of what retiring in Houston really looks like.

Disadvantages of Retiring in Houston

1. Living costs in Houston are pretty high
2. Many retirees struggle to find a decent place to stay
3. Many pensioners have to live in rather dodgy neighborhoods
4. Houston is not the safest city
5. Rents in Houston may increase even further
6. Many retirees in Houston struggle to make a living
7. Traffic may become annoying in Houston
8. Houston has pretty poor air quality
9. Houston is a pretty hot place
10. Public transport gets worse in the suburbs of Houston
11. Houston is not a bicycle-friendly city

Living costs in Houston are pretty high

While living costs in Houston are not as high as in NYC or in the Bay Area, they are still much higher compared to the US average and if you don’t receive a really good pension, you may just not be able to afford many nice things and may also miss out on many nice activities.

Many retirees struggle to find a decent place to stay

Since housing shortage is a problem in the Houston region, many pensioners also struggle to find a decent place to stay within a reasonable amount of time and often have to search for many weeks or even months in this regard while people moving to St. Louis and other less popular places often find a place to stay much quicker.

Many pensioners have to live in rather dodgy neighborhoods

Since many retirees don’t receive good pensions, they are also not able to afford living in fancy neighborhoods and rather have to live in dodgy neighborhoods in Houston where they often don’t feel comfortable.

Houston is not the safest city

Another downside to retiring in Houston is that it is just not the safest city and crime rates are pretty high.

Consequently, many retirees no longer feel safe in this place and avoid going out at night since they fear getting involved in serious incidents.

Rents in Houston may increase even further

While rents are still affordable in Houston right now, this may change in the near future and once rents increase even further, many retirees will no longer be able to afford to live in Houston and may have to leave the city in the long run.

Many retirees in Houston struggle to make a living

Another problem with retiring in Houston is that many pensioners already struggle to make a living in this place and if you don’t receive a pretty high pension, chances are that you will have to worry about your financial situation quite often and may also get socially isolated since you may not be able to participate in many nice activities other retirees with higher pensions can do.

Traffic may become annoying in Houston

Since Houston is a pretty crowded city, traffic may become annoying in the long run and even though you may not drive anymore, you may still be at risk of getting hit by a car and you therefore always need to stay focused when crossing the street or being in public in general.

Houston has pretty poor air quality

Another disadvantage of retiring in Houston is that the city has pretty poor air quality and this may become a serious problem for pensioners already struggling with pulmonary issues and if this is true for you, there may be better places to retire in your situation.

Houston is a pretty hot place

While many people like the heat, it can become problematic for pensioners since they often faint due to the heat and if you can’t stand the heat at all, you may rather want to live in Detroit or other cooler places instead.

Public transport gets worse in the suburbs of Houston

While public transport is pretty decent in Houston close to the city center, it becomes increasingly worse in the outskirts and if you can’t afford to live near the city center, you may have a hard time getting around by public transport in the Houston region.

Houston is not a bicycle-friendly city

You should also know that Houston is not the most bicycle-friendly city and this might be bad news for you as a pensioner since many retirees love getting around by bike since it is a cost-efficient way to get from A to B and you can also stay fit at the same time.

Top 10 Retiring in Houston Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Houston A Good Place To Retire?

While retiring in Houston can make quite a lot of sense since the weather is great, Houston offers decent medical infrastructure and you will get most things within walking distance, you should also know that Houston is not the safest city and living costs are also relatively high compared to the rest of the US.

Alternative Cities To Retire

If you don’t want to retire in Houston, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in New York City

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Los Angeles

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Chicago

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/houstoncitytexas

Own research.

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.