Relocating to the Houston Area

Start With Where, Not Which House

Greater Houston is large, and two neighborhoods that look alike online can mean very different daily drives. We work from Galveston to Conroe, and we both grew up here. Pick the area first, using where you will work and which school district you want, then look at houses. Each guide below is written by us and covers prices, schools and the commute in detail.

Drive times are typical, not promised. Houston traffic varies a great deal by hour and by route, so test the drive at the time you would make it. Many of the faster routes are toll roads; the Harris County Toll Road Authority's tag is the EZ TAG.

What Costs Work Differently Here

No state income tax, and higher property taxes

Texas does not levy a personal income tax (Texas Comptroller). Local property taxes do much of that work, so they are a bigger part of the monthly cost of a home than many newcomers expect. Two houses at the same price can carry very different tax bills depending on the school district, the county and whether the home sits in a utility district. Compare the total monthly cost, not the price.

The homestead exemption

On the home you own and live in as your main residence, school districts must give a $140,000 exemption, with a further $60,000 if you are 65 or older or disabled. You apply with the appraisal district in the county where the home is, and the general deadline is before May 1. If you move in after January 1, you can qualify for the rest of that year as long as the previous owner did not receive the same exemption that year (Texas Comptroller, exemptions). It does not happen on its own. You have to file.

Once you have a homestead exemption, the appraised value of the home cannot rise more than 10 percent a year. That limit starts on January 1 of the year after you qualify, so there is no cap in the year you buy (Texas Comptroller, valuing property).

When the bill comes

Taxing units start mailing bills in October, and in most cases you must pay by January 31 (Texas Comptroller, paying your taxes). If you have a mortgage, your lender usually collects this monthly and pays it for you.

MUDs: the line many buyers have never heard of

A municipal utility district, or MUD, provides water, sewer and drainage to a defined area (TCEQ), and it can levy its own property tax to pay for that. Many newer master-planned neighborhoods around Houston are in one. It is not a reason to rule a home out, but it is part of the tax rate, and rates differ from one district to the next. Texas law requires the seller to give you a written notice when a home is in a district (Texas Water Code, section 49.452), so you see it before you are committed. We check it on every home before we talk about price.

Schools Follow the Address, Not the City

In Texas, the school district is set by where the property sits, and district lines do not match city limits or mailing addresses. A home with a Spring address can be in Klein, Spring or Conroe ISD. The Woodlands is mostly Conroe ISD, and its Creekside Park village is in Tomball ISD. Campus zones inside a district also change from time to time.

So check the exact address, every time. The state's school district locator shows which district an address is in, and each of our area guides has a box that takes you to that district's own attendance-zone lookup. Confirm the campus with the district before you make an offer.

Flood Maps and Insurance

Check every address before you fall for the house. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official source and searches by address. In Harris County, the Flood Control District's Flood Education Mapping Tool adds local detail. A map is one piece of information, not a verdict. We also ask about the home's own history.

• Flood insurance is a separate policy. Most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage (FloodSmart).
• There is usually a 30-day wait. A National Flood Insurance Program policy goes into effect 30 days after you buy it. There is no wait when you buy it in connection with a home loan, which covers most purchases (FloodSmart, buy a policy).
• Wind can carry its own deductible. A Texas policy may have a separate, higher deductible for hurricanes, named storms or wind and hail (Office of Public Insurance Counsel). Read that line of the quote.
• On the coast, wind coverage can be a separate policy too. In Galveston, Brazoria and Chambers counties, and in certain Harris County cities east of Highway 146 (La Porte, Morgan's Point, Pasadena, Seabrook and Shoreacres), wind and hail coverage may come from the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA, Texas Department of Insurance).

Get insurance quotes during your option period, not after. On some homes the insurance changes the monthly cost more than the interest rate does.

Your First 90 Days in Texas

1. Register your vehicle within 30 days. You have 30 days from the time you move here (TxDMV). Do this first: the vehicle must be registered before you apply for your license.
2. Get an emissions test if your county requires one. Texas ended the yearly safety inspection for most vehicles on January 1, 2025 (Texas DPS), but Harris, Montgomery, Fort Bend, Galveston and Brazoria counties still require emissions testing (TCEQ).
3. Switch your driver license within 90 days. You can drive on a valid out-of-state license for up to 90 days after moving, and you need a Texas license after that (Texas DPS).
4. File your homestead exemption. With the county appraisal district, as soon as you have moved in. See the tax section above.
5. Set up electricity. At many Houston-area addresses you choose your own electricity company, and the state runs a comparison site at powertochoose.org. Some addresses, including parts of Montgomery County, have a single utility. Check the address before you sign up for a plan. We can tell you which applies.
6. Know the season. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 (National Hurricane Center). Our hurricane preparedness guide is written for Galveston, Houston and north Houston homeowners.

Common Questions

Does Texas have a state income tax?

No. Texas does not levy a personal income tax. Property taxes are a larger share of the cost of owning a home here than in many other states, so compare the total monthly cost of a house, not only its price.

What is the Texas homestead exemption, and can I claim it the year I buy?

School districts must give a $140,000 exemption on a home you own and live in as your main residence, with a further $60,000 if you are 65 or older or disabled. You apply with the appraisal district in the county where the home is, generally before May 1. A buyer who moves in after January 1 can qualify for the rest of that year if the previous owner did not receive the same exemption that year.

What is a MUD tax?

A municipal utility district, or MUD, provides water, sewer and drainage to a defined area and can levy its own property tax to pay for it. Many newer Houston-area neighborhoods are in one. The seller must give you a written notice if the home is in a district, so you will see the rate before you are committed.

How long do I have to register my car and get a Texas driver license?

You have 30 days from the time you move to register your vehicle. You can drive on a valid out-of-state license for up to 90 days after moving, and you need a Texas license to keep driving after that. The vehicle is registered first.

Do I need flood insurance in the Houston area?

Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, so flood coverage is a separate policy. Check the address on FEMA’s flood map and, in Harris County, on the county’s flood mapping tool before you make an offer. A flood policy usually starts 30 days after you buy it, with no wait when it is bought as part of a home loan closing.

Keep Reading

• What is it like to move to The Woodlands from out of state?
• What the new homestead exemption saves you
• Why “no” on the flood zone box doesn’t mean a home is safe
• Moving to Houston as a veteran
• All of our area guides