AlbertPullhoez
The Takeover
San Antonio
Moving to the Lone Star State, there are three Texas cities that rank in our Top 5. San Antonio comes first, with a final score of 66.08 and a Top 10 ranking in economic opportunity (#3) and housing opportunity (#7), despite lower ranks for community & representation (#14) and business environment (#14).
Compared to other cities, San Antonio’s Black population is rather small at 8.1% of all residents, almost half the average. However, the local Black employment rate is relatively high (93.9%) as is the Black median income. Black incomes are 5% lower than the rest of the population, much closer than in other cities on our list, even DC and Atlanta which received stronger overall scores.
On the other hand, the share of Black graduates is high at 26.8%. Texas has the second most HBCUs, after Alabama. While it’s an HBCU mecca, there’s only one university in San Antonio. This may or may not explain why the share of professionals is lower compared to our other top two.
Despite this, there’s no lack of Black-owned businesses to support in San Antonio. Start your day off by taking a boxing class at Black Stallion Boxing Plus. Then eat some lunch at Jamaica Jamaica Cuisine. Lastly, spend the remainder of the day shopping at Gold Diamonds.
While the Black homeownership rate is higher than average at 43.7%, the homeownership gap (Black homeownership rate - non-Black homeownership rate) is 10% lower than average at -19.4%. Perhaps this could be explained by San Antonio’s overall homeownership rate which is almost 10% lower than the state’s average. Additionally, the lower homeownership gap could explain the cost burden rate also being lower than average at 38.9%.
Houston
Staying in Texas, we arrive in Houston, our 4th best city for Black professionals. With a final score of 63.78, Houston boasts a strong business environment score (#3 in the nation), community and representation score (#4), and economic opportunity score (#7). But higher housing costs hurt Houston’s housing opportunity score, which ranks #20. 42% of black households in Houston spend more than 30% of this income on housing expenses.
Although Houston ranks lower overall, it does have a larger Black population than nearby San Antonio. 18% of Houstinites are Black, and the community is well-represented in some critical occupations: 21% of teachers are Black, as are 20% of doctors. Houston is also home to the HBCU Texas Southern University, helping a job market when the median Black income is several thousand dollars above average.
Similarly, 17% of local businesses are Black-owned, more than any other part of Texas. From the Mitochondria Gallery to Ten Skyncare and Wisdom’s Vegan Bakery, Houston has it all!
Dallas
Rounding out our Top 5 is Dallas. Within Texas, Dallas trails Houston and San Antonio in many of the community and economic factors that we measure, but still ranks extremely well compared to other parts of the country. Dallas is home to Texas’s fastest-growing Black community: in 2010, 14% of the population was Black, today that share has risen to over 17%.
Like Houston, Dallas’s Black community is fairly well-represented. 14.5% of businesses are Black-owned. Start your day off at Brunchaholics, then get your hair done at Pressed Roots, and end the day with a workout at BURN. Black incomes in Dallas are comparable to other southern cities like Austin, Atlanta, and Raleigh.
Housing burden and inequity factors that holds back Dallas’s overall score, compared to the other cities on this list. The Black homeownership rate is only 36%, over 27% points lower than non-Black households. And because of high housing costs, nearly 44% of Black households are cost-burdened, comparable to Austin.
Moving to the Lone Star State, there are three Texas cities that rank in our Top 5. San Antonio comes first, with a final score of 66.08 and a Top 10 ranking in economic opportunity (#3) and housing opportunity (#7), despite lower ranks for community & representation (#14) and business environment (#14).
Compared to other cities, San Antonio’s Black population is rather small at 8.1% of all residents, almost half the average. However, the local Black employment rate is relatively high (93.9%) as is the Black median income. Black incomes are 5% lower than the rest of the population, much closer than in other cities on our list, even DC and Atlanta which received stronger overall scores.
On the other hand, the share of Black graduates is high at 26.8%. Texas has the second most HBCUs, after Alabama. While it’s an HBCU mecca, there’s only one university in San Antonio. This may or may not explain why the share of professionals is lower compared to our other top two.
Despite this, there’s no lack of Black-owned businesses to support in San Antonio. Start your day off by taking a boxing class at Black Stallion Boxing Plus. Then eat some lunch at Jamaica Jamaica Cuisine. Lastly, spend the remainder of the day shopping at Gold Diamonds.
While the Black homeownership rate is higher than average at 43.7%, the homeownership gap (Black homeownership rate - non-Black homeownership rate) is 10% lower than average at -19.4%. Perhaps this could be explained by San Antonio’s overall homeownership rate which is almost 10% lower than the state’s average. Additionally, the lower homeownership gap could explain the cost burden rate also being lower than average at 38.9%.
Houston
Staying in Texas, we arrive in Houston, our 4th best city for Black professionals. With a final score of 63.78, Houston boasts a strong business environment score (#3 in the nation), community and representation score (#4), and economic opportunity score (#7). But higher housing costs hurt Houston’s housing opportunity score, which ranks #20. 42% of black households in Houston spend more than 30% of this income on housing expenses.
Although Houston ranks lower overall, it does have a larger Black population than nearby San Antonio. 18% of Houstinites are Black, and the community is well-represented in some critical occupations: 21% of teachers are Black, as are 20% of doctors. Houston is also home to the HBCU Texas Southern University, helping a job market when the median Black income is several thousand dollars above average.
Similarly, 17% of local businesses are Black-owned, more than any other part of Texas. From the Mitochondria Gallery to Ten Skyncare and Wisdom’s Vegan Bakery, Houston has it all!
Dallas
Rounding out our Top 5 is Dallas. Within Texas, Dallas trails Houston and San Antonio in many of the community and economic factors that we measure, but still ranks extremely well compared to other parts of the country. Dallas is home to Texas’s fastest-growing Black community: in 2010, 14% of the population was Black, today that share has risen to over 17%.
Like Houston, Dallas’s Black community is fairly well-represented. 14.5% of businesses are Black-owned. Start your day off at Brunchaholics, then get your hair done at Pressed Roots, and end the day with a workout at BURN. Black incomes in Dallas are comparable to other southern cities like Austin, Atlanta, and Raleigh.
Housing burden and inequity factors that holds back Dallas’s overall score, compared to the other cities on this list. The Black homeownership rate is only 36%, over 27% points lower than non-Black households. And because of high housing costs, nearly 44% of Black households are cost-burdened, comparable to Austin.
