2027 MNM LIVABILITY INDEX

Missouri City

Texas (TX)

Best for: Households seeking suburban Houston living and parks

2027 CITY CLASSSmall City25,000–99,999 residents

Modern Livability70.9/ 100

AT A GLANCE

Everyday numbers

Population77,327

Median Home$311,400

Median Rent$1,931

Median Household Income$94,390

Cost of LivingRPP 98.6 (US=100; BEA 2024; metro area)

Average Commute30.4 min (ACS 2020-2024)

Unemployment4.9% (ACS 2020-2024; civilian labor force)

Metro AreaHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX

2027 MODERN LIVABILITY SCORECARD

How this city actually lives

Twelve dimensions capture both hard data and the everyday experience traditional lists tend to miss.

70.9overall

Housing & Financial Reality87.0

Housing burden, taxes, insurance, utilities and what local incomes actually buy.

Ease of Living73.0

Errands, commute friction, parking, services and the effort required for daily life.

Safety & Stability78.0

Personal, neighborhood, road and environmental stability.

Economic Opportunity72.0

Jobs, wages, career mobility, employer diversity and economic resilience.

Health & Wellness78.0

Healthcare access, activity, mental wellness, healthy food and environmental health.

Beauty & Sense of Place65.0

Scenery, architecture, trees, cleanliness, public realm and distinct sense of place.

Mobility & Congestion54.0

Traffic delay, commute reliability, walking, cycling and transit usefulness.

Nature & Escape70.0

Trails, water, mountains, parks, public lands and how easily residents can escape.

Diversity & Belonging76.0

Diversity, integration, accessibility, newcomer friendliness and community connection.

Climate & Environment52.0

Comfortable weather, air quality, severe weather and environmental exposure.

Community & Culture63.0

Restaurants, arts, events, third places, recreation and social life.

Infrastructure & Connectivity76.0

Broadband, utilities, airport, highways, transit and essential connectivity.

THE THINGS OLD-SCHOOL LISTS MISS

What daily life feels like

Traffic / CongestionACS average one-way commute: 30.4 minutes (2020-2024, excluding workers at home). Longer regional trips are a material daily-life tradeoff. This is a commute measure, not a live traffic-delay index.

Weekend EscapeBuffalo Run Park offers nature trails, lakes and outdoor recreation. Regional trips depend on travel time and seasonal conditions.

WalkabilityCitywide Walk Score 25/100 (directory checked October 2026). Many errands require a car; selected centers may be more walkable.

Airport AccessGeorge Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is a regional air-travel option. Check the airport for current destinations; no drive-time estimate is assumed.

Outdoor AccessBuffalo Run Park offers nature trails, lakes and outdoor recreation.

Healthcare AccessHouston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital in nearby Sugar Land provides a local or nearby hospital option. Check insurance networks, service availability and specialist access individually.

Air QualityAir quality changes by day and season. Check AirNow for local ozone and fine-particle conditions, particularly during heat or smoke events; no citywide annual AQI rating is assigned here.

Third Places / Social LifeMissouri City's parks and recreation facilities provide public gathering spaces. A southwestern Houston-area city with broad residential neighborhoods. The mix of libraries, cafes and community activities varies by neighborhood.

EDITORIAL VIEW

More than a number

Trajectory: Declining slightly: -0.8% population change from 2024 to 2025 (same Census vintage). This describes population only, not a forecast.

WHY IT STANDS OUT

Why we chose it

Missouri City has 77,327 residents in the Census Bureau's July 1, 2025 estimate and is #493 in the incorporated-place population ranking used for this batch. The ACS 2020-2024 estimates report a median owner-occupied home value of $311,400, median monthly gross rent of $1,931, and median household income of $94,390. These are survey-period estimates, not current listings or asking rents. Buffalo Run Park offers nature trails, lakes and outdoor recreation. Livability scores are provisional editorial assessments for review, not official Census ratings.

REAL LIFE

What living here actually feels like

A southwestern Houston-area city with broad residential neighborhoods.

STRENGTHS

Where it shines

Median home value below four times median household income; Regional price level below the U.S. benchmark; Access to Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital in nearby Sugar Land; Buffalo Run Park offers nature trails, lakes and outdoor recreation.

TRADEOFFS