Why didn't Houston boom like Austin? Houston has always had a bad reputation for hot, humid weather. We're talking oppressive heat. Add hurricanes to the mix.

Why didn't Houston boom like Austin? Houston has always had a bad reputation for hot, humid weather. We're talking oppressive heat. Add hurricanes to the mix. Harvey wasn't that long ago and we remember the massive flooding. No thanks. Austin doesn't have that problematic weather. Their temperature is a few degrees cooler than Houston, and their humidity is a few percentage points lower. It may not be much, but every bit helps. Though Austin also got hit by Harvey, they didn't get hit as bad. Austin also has a great music scene that's nationally recognized. Austin is a major league music city for producing well-known artists. Austin is cool, Houston is not. It's really that simple. What Austin lacks though, as you mention, is infrastructure. I know of many cities across the U.S. that are 1/3 to 1/2 the size of Austin and has more infrastructure. Not just highways and roadways - they lack conference space, they lack terminals at their airport, they have very little public transit - it's pretty bad considering the size of the population. Between Houston and Austin, Austin wins it hands-down. It's a great place to visit, though I wouldn't live in either city.