Kiplinger's Personal Finance named Houston the No. 1 city in the country to live and work, based on its strong economy, abundant jobs, reasonable living costs and fun things to do (2008).

Forbes.com ranked Houston the No. 1 city in the country to buy a home, based on home prices and average vacancy rate (2008).

Forbes.com ranked Houston the No. 1 city in the U.S. to earn a living (2008).

Forbes.com ranked Houston the 3rd best city in the country for young professionals, based on a variety of criteria: where Ivy league graduates settle 10 years after graduation; No. of Forbes 400 best big companies and 200 best small companies; median salary data; and No. of residents between the ages of 20 and 35 (2008).

Charity Navigator named Houston the No. 3 most charitable city in the county in its 2008 Metro Market Charitable Analysis Study.

Houston's cost of living is 10 percent lower than the national average.  Click here for more details.