Top 6 Neighborhoods to Build a Home in Houston

What do you think of when someone starts talking about Houston? Hustle and bustle? City lights? Football? “Houston, we have a problem?”

Well, if you’re looking to build a home in Houston, you’ll have no problems — Houston new-home starts are booming.

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the country, yet there are still areas with the small-town feel most of us look for when we want to build a new home. Not only is it home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, its theater district is second only to New York in terms of the quality and number of theaters presenting live plays.

With a city as big as Houston, though, it can be a daunting task separating out all the different neighborhoods and figuring out where to build your dream home. With that in mind, here’s our list of the top six Houston-area communities to build a new home:

1. Greatwood

Greatwood is the top area of Houston to build a new home. Located southwest of Houston, near Sugarland, Greatwood boasts its own golf course, swimming pools, canals and the charm of true Southern living.

The median home value in Greatwood is $276,400, per Niche, an online aggregator of housing data from across the country. It’s ranked as the No. 3 best place to live in Texas and the No. 3 best place to raise a family in Texas.

Chesmar Homes, Highland Homes and Sims Luxury Builders are just three of the builders who make Greatwood home.

2. The Woodlands

The Woodlands is ranked the No. 6 best city to live in America — not just in Texas, but in the whole country. It’s also ranked the No. 2 best city to raise a family in America. Undoubtedly, then, The Woodlands is a great place to call home.

Located 28 miles north of Houston, the master-planned community is home to some of the biggest names in business: Chevron Phillips, McKesson, ExxonMobil and Woodforest National Bank all reside within The Woodlands.

Land values in The Woodlands are higher than in Greatwood, but there are enticements in The Woodlands that make it so; the median home value is $311,300. One reason why The Woodlands is higher is because of the covenants and requirements for building in the area, which are more stringent than in Greatwood.

A wide variety of builders help create and maintain The Woodlands ecosystem, including Beazer Homes and LGI Homes, as well as several custom homebuilders. All homebuilders working in The Woodlands must be approved and abide by the regulations of the master plan that created The Woodlands in the first place.

3. Sienna Plantation

Sienna Plantation is another master-planned community just outside of Houston. The land was originally used as a sugar and cotton plantation, back in the late 1800s. Since then, Sienna Plantation has grown into an area with custom homes, planned subdivisions, apartment complexes, and everything in between.

Sienna Plantation is ranked as the No. 8 best place to raise a family in Texas and the No. 15 best place to live in Texas. What makes it appealing is the wide variety of things to do and places to live within the community. It has a natural environment, with lakes, parks, lots of older trees and vegetation. It also boasts a four-mile trail along the Brazos River, a 160-acre sports complex, an 18-hole golf course recreation centers and water parks. There’s never an excuse for nothing to do in Sienna Plantation.

The median home value is $292,000. Newmark Homes, Shea Homes, and Johnson Development are just a few of the builders making Sienna Plantation great.

4. Cinco Ranch

Similar to Sienna Plantation, Cinco Ranch is another master-planned community on the outskirts of Houston. It’s located 25 miles west of Houston and 10 miles southeast of Katy, Texas. It boasts a long history, going back before Texas became a republic, when Stephen F. Austin, one of the heroes of the Alamo, brought his father’s dreams to life and created a community of 300 families in the Texas territory.

One of the biggest draws of the 7,600-acre planned community is the large number of built-in activities available. Amenities include an 18-hole golf course, pocket parks within each neighborhood, swimming pools and tennis courts for neighbors and a YMCA located right within the community.

Cinco Ranch’s home values rank right in the middle of all the top-rated communities around Houston, at just over $290,000. Perry Homes, David Weekly Homes and Village Builders are building award-winning homes throughout Cinco Ranch for those looking for a taste of the suburbs with the graciousness of living within Texas history.

5. Bunker Hill Village

Bunker Hill Village is a suburb of Houston, close to Sugarland, and ranks the No. 16 best place to raise a family in Texas. The area, historically, was home to several lumber mills and served as the area’s center for lumber processing.

The area has undergone redevelopment several times, leading Forbes magazine to call Bunker Hill Village one of the top suburbs in which to live well in 2008.

As one of the more established areas of Houston, you can expect the median home values to be higher than anywhere else in the area; according to one survey, the median home value is more than $1 million. Large, well-cared-for yards and public areas are interspersed with newer subdivisions, all vying for the name of “best area in Houston.” Overall, it’s ranked as the 45th best place to live in Texas.

Richard Price Homes and Plantation Homes, a custom home builder, both work hard to keep Bunker Hill Village at the top of the best places to live in Houston, along with custom builders Texas Elite and SSH.

6. Meridiana

Just outside of Pearland and about 30 miles south of Houston sits Meridiana, a master planned community “designed to improve with age.”

Established hombuilders in Meridiana include Coventry, Shea, Chesmar, Perry, David Weekley, Highland, and Drees. Choose from more than 15 elegant and modern floorplans, with prices starting in the low $200s.

Of course, you have to consider what’s available to you as a homeowner as well, and Meridiana has lots to offer. Plenty of green space, hands-on learning centers, and Oasis Village—a central hub with dining and entertainment options—means there’s plenty to do without leaving the community. But if you do decide to venture outward, the shopping centers and resources of Pearland, Sugar Land, and Downtown Houston are all within a 30-minute drive.

Regardless of which area you build your new home in the Houston area, you’re buying a part of Texas history, along with the quality and state-of-the-art building techniques brought to you only by the best builders in the area.

Now that you know where to build, it’s time to start searching for your new home. Search NewHomeSource for the largest selection of newly built homes in Houston.