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Houston's 77005 ZIP code — which includes West University Place and Rice University and is adjacent to the Texas Medical Center — is one of the "Best ZIP Codes in America," according to Movoto.
In yet another ranking of neighborhoods nationwide, Houston has one of the “Best ZIP Codes in America,” according to Movoto Real Estate Blog.
Houston’s 77005 — which includes West University Place — ranks No. 2 out of 28,061 ZIP codes. Leading the nation is 20004 in Washington, D.C., followed by three West Coast ZIP codes, two in Chicago and one each in New York; Kansas City, Missouri; and Wichita, Kansas.
So, what makes a ZIP code the “best”? California-based Movoto LLC used the U.S. Census’ American
Community Survey to analyze the following criteria:
Median household income (the higher the better)
Unemployment rate (the lower the better)
Average commute time (the lower the better)
Median rent (the higher, the more desirable an area)
Median house worth (the higher, the more desirable an area)
High school graduation rate (the higher the better)
Families below the poverty line (the lower the better)
In Houston’s 77005, Movoto found a median yearly income of $153,041. Only 1.71 percent of residents didn’t graduate from high school, and very few are unemployed. And 77005’s “housing costs showed just how much people are itching to live (there),” Movoto wrote.
These stats — and 77005's low commute times — aren't too surprising considering the ZIP code's proximity to high-caliber employers such as Rice University and the Texas Medical Center.
Similarly, a recent Forbes report found that 77005 was one of the 500 most expensive ZIP codes nationwide based on median asking price for homes on the market this summer. Its median was more than $1.28 million.
Giving Credit Where Credit is Due: Olivia Pulsinelli, Web producer-Houston Business Journal
