Extra bragging rights for Houston as a fascinating place to dwell: The town has the No. 8 finest park system in Texas this yr, a brand new report says.
The Belief for Public Land’s 2025 ParkScore report yearly charges park programs in 100 of the most important American cities based mostly on accessibility, fairness, acreage, funding, and facilities.
Taking the highest spot nationwide is Washington, D.C., for one more consecutive yr. Rounding out the highest 5 cities with the very best park programs are Irvine, California (No. 2); Minneapolis, Minnesota (No. 3); Cincinnati, Ohio (No. 4); and St. Paul, Minnesota (No. 5).
Houston ranked 66th nationally for 2025 in a two-spot enchancment after incomes No. 68 final yr.
The town has a formidable quantity of land devoted to parks, totaling 43,139 acres, or about 12.2 p.c of the overall metropolis space. The town invests $127 per resident on its acclaimed park system, in comparison with the nationwide median $133 per resident.
In accordance with Belief for Public Land’s web site, Houston has greater than 700 parks for locals and guests to get pleasure from.
“Parks convey individuals collectively and ship huge bodily and psychological well being advantages for guests,” mentioned Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, the president and CEO of Belief for Public Land. “At a time when a lot in our nation appears fractured or polarized, parks would be the final ideology-free zones, the place everybody can come collectively, type significant relationships, and luxuriate in just a few hours of peace and rest.”
The town nonetheless has room for enchancment relating to accessibility, in line with the report. About 63 p.c of all Houston residents dwell inside a half mile of a park. Nationally, 76 p.c of Individuals within the 100 most populous cities dwell inside a 10-minute stroll of a park on common.
Elsewhere in Texas
Dallas-Fort Price cities dominated Parkscore’s checklist of the very best park programs in Texas for 2025. Plano, a Dallas suburb, ranked No. 1 statewide and seventeenth nationally this yr, adopted by Dallas in second place and thirty fourth nationally. Touchdown within the third and fourth spots statewide are Frisco (No. 37 nationally) and Arlington (No. 46).
Austin rounded out the statewide high 5 and ranked 54th nationally, and San Antonio ranked behind Austin for No. 57 nationwide.
Here is how different Texas parks ranked nationally in 2025:
- No. 65 – El Paso
- No. 67 – Garland
- No. 72 – Fort Price
- No. 76 – Laredo
- No. 77 – Corpus Christi
- No. 94 – Lubbock
- No. 99 – Irving