Texas the New Home of Big Cities

So you are looking into Texas homes for sale, here is something to remember. No matter if you’re looking for homes for sale in Huston, Dallas homes for sale or a home in San Antonio; things are always bigger in Texas.

Everybody knows that Texas is the second-largest state in the U.S. in size, only smaller than Alaska, but here is another reminder of the sheer size of Texas, illustrating that the state’s size is about more than the geographic side of real estate: Three of the largest nine cities in the U.S. are in Texas.

Demographically, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas are the ranked fourth, seventh and ninth, respectively, in city population, according to the latest (mid-2006) U.S. Census statistics, with nearly 5 million residents between them in their collective city limits alone and about 13.5 million people living in those three metropolitan areas. The three cities account for more than half of Texas’  total population of more than 23.5 million — a population that is increasing more than 500,000 annually.

Growth in Major Texas Cities

Before the oil boom, most Texas real estate did not appear to be worth very much. Back then, it definitely seemed impossible to imagine that three Texas cities would become larger than older, more established Eastern cities, such as Baltimore, Boston or Detroit. Then the migration of jobs to the Sunbelt a generation ago and the fast growth of the technology industry helped sustain Texas’ growth. The vast size and resources of Texas make the state an increasingly popular destination, able to accommodate millions more.

Houston, Dallas and San Antonio are the three most popular destinations of all.

A recent study in the Summer of 2007 by Money Magazine asked people to rank the best of the 10 largest cities in America and all three Texas cities finished ahead of both New York and Los Angeles.

Houston

With an estimated 2,144,426 residents in the city alone, Houston ranks fourth in the nation in population behind New York (population: 8,124,426), Los Angeles (population: 3,849,378) and Chicago (population: 2,833,321). The metropolitan Houston area has an estimated 5,539,949 residents who enjoy living near the Gulf of Mexico.

Oil, along with the growth of what is now the nation’s largest international shipping port and the space industry are three major factors that help transform Houston from a minor hub into a major American city in less than a century. Today Houston’s economy has a broad industrial base, including major energy, aeronautics, technology, manufacturing and health care industries. Houston is home to more Fortune 500 companies than any city in the nation except New York.

Houston has a diverse, multicultural population with a large and growing international community. Houston new homes are widely available, from starter homes to opulent mansions.   

San Antonio

San Antonio, the seventh-biggest city by population in the U.S., is home to 1,296,682 residents. Located about 200 miles west of Houston and less than 150 miles north of Corpus Christi on the Texas Gulf Coast, San Antonio is home to a metropolitan area population of nearly 2 million (1,942,217). The number of people living on San Antonio real estate has doubled in the past 35 years.

San Antonio had already been established for more than a century when the Battle of Alamo took place there in 1836 (the same year Houston was founded).  San Antonio’s history and heritage run deeper than other major cities in the Lone Star State. In recent years, the city of San Antonio has annexed large tracts of land on the city’s outskirts in anticipation of further growth.

Although it hosts 30 million tourists annually, San Antonio has a diversified economy anchored by the financial services, health care and national defense industries. San Antonio is the only city in the U.S. hosting three Level I Trauma Centers within the city limits. Local military installations include Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base and Randolph Air Force Base. The defense industry in San Antonio employs about 90,000 people and provides more than $5.2 billion in economic impact for San Antonio.

Due to the large military presence, there are literally thousands and thousands of homes for sale in San Antonio that are just right for military personnel and their families.    

Dallas

Although Dallas (population: 1,232,940) is the ninth-largest city in the nation and trails its Texas neighbors Houston and San Antonio in population within their respective city limits, the Dallas metropolitan area is the largest in Texas, with an estimated population of 6,003,967., the largest inland metropolis in the U.S.

The city of Dallas was founded in 1841 and incorporated in 1856 and the city, which sits in northeast Texas nearly 300 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, developed into a commercial hub for Texas cotton and other products with the arrival of the railroad in the 1870s. But the discovery of oil in 1930 just 100 miles east of Dallas created a new destiny for Dallas as a financial center, which began to expand so much that Fort Worth, 30 miles to the west, has become the 18th-largest city in the U.S., with a population of 653,320. Dallas later became a technology center.

Until recent years, the Dallas real estate picture had slowed, but a revitalization is now taking place downtown, with the construction of multiple art venues, office towers, residential towers and residential conversions, putting many Dallas new homes for sale on the local market. More than 100,000 residents are expected downtwon by 2010, up from 1,600 in 2000. Just north of downtown, Uptown is one of the hottest real estate markets in the country, while south Dallas and Oak Cliff are seeing new growth as well. Popular suburbs include Carrollton, Irving, Garland, Arlington, Plano, Highland Park, Mesquite and The Colony.

In addition to the three major cities in Texas, there are a large number of Texas homes for sale throughout other areas of the state.

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