Is Houston a conservative city?

[oneven]

I know we have a reputation in Italy for being a conservative people, but I’m personally quite liberal so I’m a bit worried about moving to a new home to find it’s all very conservative and old-fashioned. Is Houston a liberal or a conservative city?

[Zach_Tuttle]

Houston's a pretty healthy mix of both. You've got people raised in traditional Southern US values with their conservative tendencies running around with people raised in an urban area who have been exposed to a larger variety of people and cultures having a more liberal mindset. Typically, the wealthier areas and the suburban (like Sugar Land, the Woodlands, or Cypress) areas seem to swing slightly conservative, and the middle-class, lower-class, and inside-the-loop (Loop 610) areas (Third Ward, Montrose, The Heights, Midtown) will tend to lean liberal.

Also, Houston is an incredibly diverse city, especially for a city in South Texas, with people from all over the world moving here looking for work in oil & gas and medical, and they bring their own values along with them. So while specific areas might lean one way or another, typically you'll find a fairly large mix of people from all over the spectrum. Houston's weird like that.

[Pearse_Lenz]

I have found Houston to be a socially conservative city, though not as conservative as Dallas. Houston has neighborhoods that would fit right in with the best of NYC or San Francisco. In my experience (have lived here for one year+, met a lot of people, and lived in NYC for 16 years), the further you go from downtown, the more conservative it gets. Montrose is likely the most socially liberal neighborhood in Houston, judging by its great nightlife and gay scene.

[Krysten_Powers]

Houston is a very diverse city with both conservative and liberal views all over. We have a very progressive city council, including a Democratic mayor (our previous mayor was a lesbian, so she was pretty liberal too). There is still a lot of conservative leanings as well because it is still Texas, but Houston itself is by-and-large very diverse. You can find anything you want here.

[Tab_Perez]

I lived in Houston since I was 5! Houston in my opinion is neither Liberal or Conservative. For the reason being is because it's all a working city it lives and breathes off of people it has never really given back to me to where as I have given so much to it. Traffic is horrible, people(not all) are rude, and city atmosphere in all is just different in a unhappy way. I finally got up (being the age of 21) and moved to Austin! Where it's old fashion, the people care no matter who or what you are, food is so amazing , there is so much potential as for your family or whatever you choose to do! Houston took away from me as for Austin is giving me so much! The best part about it is your all in the hills, nothing but nature! Hope this helps!

[Ron_Vutpakdi]

Houston is cosmopolitan enough that you can find liberal folks even though the city overall is somewhat conservative. The suburbs and more expensive parts of town tend to more conservative.

[Jared_Bevis]

In general, the city of Houston is fairly tolerant. There is large LGBT community in Montrose area. The city typically leans more liberal overall, but as you move out more to the suburbs things get fairly conservative (I personally lived in Sugar Land). In general I've found people are fairly polite and respectful either way.

[Steven_Peterson]

Houston is certainly more conservative than Austin, but remember that we elected the nation's first openly gay mayor of a major city, Annise Parker. She served until the end of the term limit. Houston also has the distinction of being the most diverse city in America. Texas is certainly a red state, but the demographics of Houston are shifting for sure. As a gay man who grew up here and returned after living in San Francisco and New York for 15 years, I find it to be more open than ever.

[tillieeze]

I grew up in Houston, went to college in Pittsburgh (6 years), and now live in NYC (5 years). I've met more close-minded, conservative, shove religion down your throat people in Pittsburgh and New York, than I encountered living in Houston...and I'm a practicing Catholic.

Honestly, I think we just got a bad rep because we are in Texas, but Houston when I lived there and now, is like a larger New York in the sense of industries. It's grown exponentially, the food scene has always been brilliant (we were doing food trucks before the east coast knew what a truck was), the art scene is insane, plus you can always find something to do. Especially in February when the Rodeo is happening.

Just to give a disclaimer, I'm talking about HOUSTON, not the outside areas like Katy, Pearland, Sugarland, Mission Bend, Spring, etc. They'll claim Houston when it's convenient, and give us a bad name.