Best Neighborhoods to Live in Inner Loop Houston
Planning to buy a home? Here's a curated list of the best places to live in Inner Loop Houston based on their 5-year appreciation.
Coronavirus, Hurricane Harvey, oil price crash, and soaring inflation rate are some of the events in the past five years that significantly affected Houston real estate. Winners emerge amidst the ups and downs of the Houston housing market.
Inner Loop neighborhoods remain to be popular among homebuyers. They offer easy access to Houston's main districts such as Downtown, Galleria, Museum District, and Memorial Park.
It is important to remain conscious of key home buying themes to avoid mistakes. (Read 9 Kisses of Death: Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a House).
"The Houston Properties Team was absolutely amazing. I had initially listed with a different realtor that was recommended by a neighbor with very poor results. It was even more difficult because I was no longer in Houston and the trust I had put in the other agent was definitely taken advantage of. However, when I found Kim with the Houston Properties Team, all that changed. I was informed throughout the process and when she promised something would be done, it was. Before the experience with her, I swore off ever even considering purchasing a home again. She restored my faith in the real estate world." – Jeanette (Google Review)
Table of Contents
- 5-Year Appreciation: Best Inner Loop Houston Areas
- List of Best Inner Loop Houston Neighborhoods
- Methodology
- The Best Houston Realtor to Sell Your Home
5-Year Appreciation: Best Inner Loop Houston Areas
Curious to know which Inner Loop neighborhoods are best for you? We've got you. Contact us at [email protected].
Area | Median Home Price | Median Sales Price 5 Yr % |
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Memorial Park | $1,801,000 | 54.6% |
University Area | $350,000 | 47.1% |
Upper Kirby | $1,100,000 | 34.0% |
West University/Southside Area | $1,720,000 | 31.3% |
Heights/Greater Heights | $680,575 | 31.3% |
Washington East/Sabine | $532,500 | 28.8% |
Bellaire Area | $1,160,000 | 27.4% |
River Oaks Shopping Area | $949,000 | 27.0% |
Timbergrove/Lazybrook | $577,267 | 26.9% |
Denver Harbor | $332,500 | 25.9% |
Cottage Grove | $510,000 | 23.4% |
Braeswood Place | $1,325,000 | 22.6% |
Riverside | $397,500 | 22.3% |
River Oaks Area | $2,699,000 | 22.3% |
Northside | $255,000 | 21.7% |
Rice Military/Washington Corridor | $562,500 | 20.6% |
Knollwood/Woodside | $502,500 | 19.7% |
*Midtown Houston | $370,000 | 17.6% |
Rice / Museum District | $1,050,000 | 16.7% |
*East End Revitalized | $355,575 | 14.7% |
Highland Village / Midlane | $1,150,000 | 13.0% |
Montrose | $735,000 | 9.7% |
*Greenway Plaza | $545,000 | 8.0% |
*Briar Hollow | $585,500 | 2.8% |
*Downtown Houston | $292,500 | -1.8% |
*Medical Center Area | $212,500 | -14.5% |
Royden Oaks/Afton Oaks | $1,098,000 | -31.4% |
List of Best Inner Loop Houston Neighborhoods
"The Houston Properties Team under the leadership of Paige Martin is one of the most successful real estate teams in Texas. Paige and her team take the pain out of the real estate experience through hard work, proprietary systems and processes, and a deep understanding of the hyper-local Houston real estate market. She's ranked #5 in Keller Williams worldwide and #1 in Houston with good reason." – Sandy (Google Review)
Memorial Park
Area | Median Home Price | Median Sales Price 5 Yr % |
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Memorial Park | $1,801,000 | 54.6% |
The area of Memorial Park is one of the most renowned neighborhoods within the Inner Loop. Located east of Loop 610 and south of I-10.
Its many features and amenities include:
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MEMORIAL PARK GOLF COURSE: The John Bredemus-designed course has a 73-course and 122-slope rating. It was opened in the 1920s. Residents can enjoy playing tennis, croquet, volleyball, flag football, and baseball.
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OUTDOOR RECREATION: Most areas can access many trails like Seymour Lieberman Exertrail and Picnic Loop. Also, other parks through The Buffalo Bayou and Beyond initiative.
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ACCESSIBILITY: The residents have access to main roads such as I-10, Memorial Drive, Loop 610, Washington Avenue, and Allen Parkway. Four miles away from Downtown Houston, while less than 5 miles away from the Galleria.
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EXCLUSIVITY: Some of Houston’s most expensive real estate are in the areas of Glen Cove and Crestwood. They have median sale prices of over $1,500,000. The upscale Houston gated community of Caceres is a few minutes from the area.
The area of Memorial Park features a wide range of home options, such as upscale townhomes, mansions, and patio and ranch-style homes. Memorial Park is also zoned to the Houston Independent School District (HISD).
University Area
Area | Median Home Price | Median Sales Price 5 Yr % |
---|---|---|
University Area | $350,000 | 47.1% |
One of Houston’s most popular neighborhoods, University Area features an ideal location and good amenities. It is situated southeast of Midtown and just minutes away from Downtown.
University Area remains popular due to its:
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GREAT LOCATION: University Area is in the south of the Central Business District. It is next to Midtown, and it is along major freeways. It includes Gulf Freeway, South Freeway, and South Loop.
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TOP RANKED SCHOOLS: The community is zoned to Houston ISD. Students may attend Brookline Elementary School, Texas Southern University, and the University of Houston. They are listed among some of Houston’s Best Schools.
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CULTURE AND ARTS CENTER: University Area is adjacent to Museum District. There are 19 culture, arts, and scientific institutions nearby. Key destinations include the Museum of Fine Arts, the Children’s Museum, and the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
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OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT: University Area offers a lot of outdoor entertainment and recreation options. Residents enjoy direct access to parks, playgrounds, and golf courses. Numerous dining, retail, and entertainment are also nearby.
University Area has a healthy mix of high-end luxury and affordable homes. Common architectural styles are modern and traditional.
Upper Kirby
Area | Median Home Price | Median Sales Price 5 Yr % |
---|---|---|
Upper Kirby | $1,100,000 | 34.0% |
Upper Kirby is a vibrant mixed-use district located next to Greenway Plaza and Montrose. One of Houston’s most accessible neighborhoods, the area features plenty of bars, cafes, lounges, restaurants, and stores.
Upper Kirby neighborhood is highly sought after for its:
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PRIME LOCATION: The district is less than 15 minutes away from the key business and commercial centers of Houston, namely Downtown Houston, Texas Medical Center, and The Galleria.
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SHOPPING & DINING HUBS: Upper Kirby boasts more than 150 Yelp-rated retail, dining, and entertainment establishments. Most shops sit along Kirby Drive, Shepherd Drive, and Westheimer Road.
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ACCESS TO MAJOR THOROUGHFARES: The neighborhood is close to main streets and freeways. These include Kirby Drive, Westheimer Road, Buffalo Speedway, Richmond Avenue, and W Alabama Street.
While Upper Kirby homes are more affordable than residences in the neighboring River Oaks, the district's land and real estate value have continued to grow over the past ten years.
Methodology
"The Houston Properties Team is the #1 boutique real estate team in Houston for good reason. Paige, Lisa & Shannon are incredibly candid and professional and they go the extra mile. Their analytics system is 2nd to none, their Success Team is exceptional and on the ball, and they have vendors for everything you'll need." - Infinite Ridge (Google review)
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The Houston Association of Realtor (HAR) Multiple Listing Service (MLS) has categorized the Houston general metropolitan service area. It has created about 200 distinct "Geo Market Areas".
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All Houston area properties in the MLS are classified into one Geo Market Area based on their location.
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Since Houston sprawls over 600 square miles, we took the Geo Market Areas within a 40-mile radius of Houston. We did not include areas like Angelina County, Tyler County, and Freeport. They are generally considered outside of the Houston-Woodlands-Baytown MSA.
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We categorized these geo markets into six regions:
1) Inner Loop. (All or the majority of the Geo Market Area resides in Houston's 610 Loop.)
2) Close In, But Not In the Inner Loop. (All or the majority of the Geo Market Area resides in Houston's Beltway 8, but not within 610 Loop.)
3) West / Southwest areas.
4) North / Northwest areas.
5) East / Northeast areas.
6) South / Southeast areas.
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*Default median housing price values are from single-family homes except in these neighborhoods. Condos, townhomes, and single-family homes are considered in these neighborhoods. This is due to the above-average number of condos/townhomes in these market areas. All regions where anything other than single-family homes are used have a * designation.
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Annual home prices are based on HAR MLS reported sales for the prior year between January 1 and May 31. Starting on June 1, the current year HAR MLS sales data is used.
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Reporters or news outlets, please contact Paige@HoustonProperties.com for details. We may provide an Excel export of every neighborhood’s associated data and calculations.
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Data is deemed accurate but not guaranteed. Information is provided for informational purposes only.
The Best Houston Realtor to Sell Your Home
The Houston Properties Team has a well-defined structure based on the individual strengths of each member. Each member is a specialist in their role – which is why our homes sell faster and for more money than average.
Paige Martin, Broker Associate with Keller Williams Realty, and the Houston Properties Team are ranked among the top residential Realtors in the world.
They have been featured on TV and in dozens of publications including The Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, Reuters, Fox News in the Morning, Money Magazine, Houston Business Journal, Houstonia, and Houston Chronicle.
Paige Martin was just ranked as the #5 agent in the world with Keller Williams, completing over $1 Billion in Houston residential real estate sales.
Recent awards include:
– 2022: #1 Residential Real Estate Team by Sales Volume, Houston Business Journal
– 2021: Best Real Estate Teams in America, RealTrends.com
– 2021: Top 100 Women Leaders in Real Estate of 2021
– 2021: America’s Top 100 Real Estate Agents
– 2021: Top Real Estate Team (Houston Properties Team), Houston Business Journal
– 2021: Best Houston Real Estate Team, Best of Reader’s Choice
– 2021: Top Real Estate Team (Houston Properties Team), Houston Business Journal
– 2021: #1 Real Estate Team, Keller Williams Memorial
– 2020: America’s Best Real Estate Teams, Best of America Trends
– 2020: Best Houston Real Estate Team, Best of Reader’s Choice
– 2020: Top Real Estate Team (Houston Properties Team), Houston Business Journal
– 2020: #6 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Worldwide
– 2020: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Texas (Top Keller Williams Realtor)
– 2020: #1 Real Estate Team, Keller Williams Memorial
- 2019: Top Residential Realtors in Houston, Houston Business Journal
- 2019: America’s Best Real Estate Agents, RealTrends.com
- 2019: #5 Individual Agent, KW Worldwide
- 2019: #1 Individual Agent, KW Texas
- 2018: #5 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Worldwide
- 2018: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Texas
- 2018: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Houston
- 2018: America’s Best Real Estate Agents, RealTrends.com
- 2018: Top 25 Residential Realtors in Houston, Houston Business Journal
- 2018: Texas’ Most Influential Realtors
- 2017: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Texas
- 2017: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Houston
- 2017: #10 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Worldwide
- 2017: America’s Best Real Estate Agents, RealTrends.com
- 2017: Top 25 Residential Realtors in Houston, Houston Business Journal
- 2017: Texas’ Most Influential Realtors
- 2016: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Texas
- 2016: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Houston
- 2016: #20 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Worldwide
- 2016: Texas’ Most Influential Realtors
- 2016: Top 25 Residential Realtors in Houston, HBJ
- 2016: Five Star Realtor, Featured in Texas Monthly
- 2016: America’s Best Real Estate Agents, RealTrends.com
- 2015: #9 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, United States
- 2015: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Texas
- 2015: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Houston
- 2015: America’s Best Real Estate Agents, RealTrends.com
- 2015: Top 25 Residential Realtors in Houston, HBJ
- 2015: Five Star Realtor, Texas Monthly Magazine
- 2014: America’s Best Real Estate Agents, RealTrends.com
- 2014: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams Memorial
...in addition to over 318 additional awards.
Paige also serves a variety of non-profits, and civic and community boards. She was appointed by the mayor of Houston to be on the downtown TIRZ board.
Benefits Of Working With The Houston Properties Team
Our team, composed of distinguished and competent Houston luxury realtors, has a well-defined structure based on the individual strengths of each member.
We find the team approach as the most effective way to sell homes. We have dedicated people doing staging, marketing, social media, open houses, and showings. Each Houston Properties Team member is a specialist in their role—which is why our homes sell faster and for more money than average.
The benefits of working with a team include:
- the ability to be in two or three places at one time; a member can handle showings, while another answer calls
- collective time and experience of members
- targeted advice and marketing of agent expert in your area
- competitive advantage by simply having more resources, more ideas, and more perspectives
- a “checks and balances” system; selling and buying a home in Houston is an intensely complex process
- more people addressing field calls and questions from buyers and agents to facilitate a faster, successful sale
- efficient multi-tasking; one agent takes care of inspections and repair work, while another agent focuses on administrative details
- multiple marketing channels using members’ networks
- constant attention: guaranteed focus on your home and your transaction
- lower risk for mistakes. Multiple moving parts increase oversights. A team approach handles these “parts” separately
- flexibility in negotiation and marketing
- better management of document flow
- increased foot traffic through more timely and effective showing schedule coordination; and
- increased sphere of influence and exposure to more potential buyers.
To meet all the award-winning members of the Houston Properties Team, please go here.
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- Join the Houston Properties Team and be the backbone of our success!