Though there may be some less populated counties in TX that, per capita, are wealthier than the big cities, the major centers of wealth, commerce, and industry in Texas are concentrated in the three big cities I mentioned. Indeed, Travis county (Austin), Tarrant and Dallas counties (Dallas/Ft. Worth) and Harris county (Houston) all have household incomes that are above the national median, while Texas overall has income levels that are below the national average. As for poverty: Texas has a poverty rate that is 20% higher than the national average (all data from the U.S. Census bureau at www.census.gov).

And As for flashing money: each time I visit Houston I’m amused by the significant numbers of people who wear lots of flashy jewelry, drive big fancy cars, etc. Maybe it’s just me, or maybe you’re just used to it.

Anyway, we’re off topic and could get bumped to OMNI. The original question was about where to stay in Houston. Since Houston is so spread out and mobility is a significant issue, my general advice would be to stay to close to where one needs to be.