Oil and gas have long kept Houston humming. But these days -- with oil prices hovering around $100 a barrel -- the city is booming.
"The recent oil surge going on in Texas is generating major job gains," said Ray Perryman, a regional economist and founder of The Perryman Group.
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But it's not just the energy sector that's hiring. A major port city, Houston is also home to several manufacturing, transportation, aerospace and medical research companies as well.
Newcomers will find homes affordable, too: The median home price in Houston is about $195,000, about $10,000 less than the national median.