PA → TX · City of Brotherly Love to Space City

Moving from Philadelphia to Houston?

Philly to Houston — PA ~6.82% to TX 0% saves $6,820/yr, housing 46% cheaper — Comcast/IBX/CHOP → ExxonMobil + TMC + NASA + Chevron + Houston Methodist + MD Anderson.

1,610 mi Distance
24 hr Drive time
-46% lower Home prices
$6,820/yr Tax savings on $100K

The Story

Philly-to-Houston is CHOP/Penn → TMC + Comcast → tech move. PA+Philly 6.82% → TX 0% saves $6,820/yr. Housing 46% pricier (Philly was cheaper), COL 7% lower. Pull: ExxonMobil HQ, Texas Medical Center (largest globally, Cerner bridge), NASA Johnson Space Center, Chevron, Houston Methodist, MD Anderson Cancer.

Why This Move

Why people move from Philadelphia to Houston.

ExxonMobil HQ — Fortune 5 oil/gas
Texas Medical Center — largest medical complex globally (CHOP/Penn academic medicine bridge)
MD Anderson Cancer + Houston Methodist + Memorial Hermann (Cerner bridge)
NASA Johnson Space Center — federal lateral
Chevron + ConocoPhillips — energy corridor
Port of Houston — logistics
No state income tax (saves $6,820/yr)
Astros/Rockets/Texans + diverse food scene

Cost Comparison

The money side of PA → TX.

Philadelphia

Median home$240,000
Income tax3.07% PA + 3.75% Philly (~6.82%)
Cost index102

Houston

Median home$350,000
Income taxNone (TX)
Cost index95

What to Do in Houston

Things you'll want to know about your new city.

Bookmark this page — these are the icons of Houston, organized by what kind of day you're planning.

Outdoors & Recreation

Discovery Green — 12-acre downtown park; ice skating in winter
Buffalo Bayou Park — 160-acre linear park; kayaking, biking, art installations

Culture & Arts

Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH) — Sixth-largest museum in US; James Turrell Skyspace
The Menil Collection — Free private collection; renowned 20th-century works
Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo — March; world's largest rodeo and concert series
Minute Maid Park (Astros) — Retractable-roof MLB stadium

Family-Friendly

Space Center Houston — NASA Johnson Space Center visitor center; Mission Control tour
Houston Museum of Natural Science — Cockrell Butterfly Center, Hall of Paleontology
Hermann Park / Houston Zoo — 445-acre park; 55-acre zoo
Galveston Island (50 min south) — Beach, Pleasure Pier, historic Strand district

Where to Eat

Houston's essential restaurants.

The dining list every Houston resident knows by heart. Save the spots, work through them.

Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Steakhouse Galleria

Classic Houston steakhouse
Crawfish & Noodles Vietnamese-Cajun Bellaire/Chinatown

Viet-Cajun crawfish — a Houston original cuisine
Ninfa's on Navigation Tex-Mex East End

Original 1973 Ninfa's; invented fajitas (claim)
Truth BBQ BBQ Midtown

Brisket comparable to Austin's Franklin (some say better)
Underbelly Hospitality (multiple) Various Multiple

Chris Shepherd's restaurant group; James Beard winner
Killen's BBQ (Pearland) BBQ Pearland

Ronnie Killen's flagship BBQ
Xochi Mexican Downtown

Hugo Ortega's Oaxacan-focused; James Beard winner
March Mediterranean tasting Montrose

Felipe Riccio's tasting menu; Michelin star

Where to Live

Best Houston neighborhoods for Philadelphia transplants.

Mapped to the Philadelphia neighborhoods that probably feel like home to you.

Montrose

If Center City was your scene — walkable, gay-friendly, restaurants
The Heights

If Fishtown was your vibe — bungalows, walkable, breweries
Midtown

If you wanted urban — walkable, nightlife
The Woodlands (suburb)

If Main Line was your model — master-planned, top schools
Sugar Land (suburb)

If you wanted family-friendly — top schools, diverse
River Oaks

If you wanted prestigious — mansions, top schools

Climate & Walkability

What daily life feels like in Houston.

Climate

Humid subtropical (effectively coastal). Hot, humid summers (78-95°F, June-Sept). Mild winters (45-65°F, occasional freeze). Hurricane season June-November (Harvey 2017 was catastrophic). 204 sun days/year.

Summer78-94°F
Winter45-65°F
Sun days/yr204
Rainfall53 inches

Walkability

Walk Score47/100
Transit Score36/100
Bike Score51/100

Houston is car-dependent — most errands require driving.

Outdoors & Recreation

Buffalo Bayou Park — 160 acres of linear park, kayaking, biking
Memorial Park — 1,500-acre urban park; Seymour Lieberman Trail
Galveston Island — beach access (50 min south)
Brazos Bend State Park — alligators, hiking (1 hr southwest)
Sam Houston National Forest (1 hr north) — hiking, kayaking
Houston Bayou system — paddling Buffalo, White Oak, Brays bayous

Reality Check

What changes about your daily life.

PA+Philly 6.82% becomes TX 0% — saves $6,820/year on $100K
Housing 46% pricier — $240K Philly becomes $350K Houston
COL 7% lower
Climate flips humid continental to humid subtropical (Houston hotter, hurricanes)
Property tax TX 2.0% higher than PA 1.5%
Walkability decrease — Philly walkable, Houston no zoning + car-dependent
CHOP/Penn → TMC academic medicine direct bridge
Sports — gain Astros/Rockets/Texans, lose Eagles/Phillies/76ers/Flyers

Driving Routes

How to drive there.

I-95 S to I-81 S to I-40 W to I-30 W to I-45 S

1,610 miles via Roanoke, Knoxville, Memphis, Dallas. 24 hours / 3 days.

Move Logistics

What it takes to move 1,610 miles.

Full-service (3BR)$6,500-$11,800
Container/PODS$4,800-$8,000
DIY (26-ft truck)$3,400-$6,000
Best monthsOct-Apr (avoid summer + hurricanes)
Lead time6-8 weeks ahead

USDOT-registered.

Common Questions