Tory Gattis (Houston Strategies) came across a press release for the Houston Airport System’s A+ bond rating and discovered some interesting things:
The system’s primary market area consists of the eight-county Houston-Galveston-Brazoria consolidated metropolitan area (CMSA). The metropolitan area recorded a 2.2% annual gain in population since 1990 to an estimated 5.2 million residents as of 2003. The regional economy recorded a 6.6% annual growth rate over the past decade as measured by total personal income, outpacing the 5.1% rate for the nation. Per capita income in the metropolitan area equals 118% and 109% of the state and national averages, respectively.
And Gattis adds:
Take those last stats and combine it with the lowest cost of living of any big city in America, and you have a pretty sweet deal. That spread between income and basic cost of living is money that’s available for better housing (including renovating older housing), restaurants, charities, arts organizations, theater, museums, festivals, entertainment, vacations, higher education, and entrepreneurship. In other words, it’s the raw fuel that drives our vibrancy, and we have more of it per capita and in total than any other major city in America. Kind of puts a different spin on “Energy Capital of the World” doesn’t it?…
Yes it does — Houston IS a great place to live!
