Murray Resources, one of the leading Houston staffing agencies, has been based in Houston, Texas since its founding in 1988. And while the city has enjoyed its share of peaks (and suffered through two recessions) in the last 30 years – the Houston job market is as hot as ever. Are you considering relocating to Houston? If so, below are just a few reasons to love this city.

Job opportunities galore

The challenging national economy has many job seekers eyeing Texas – and Houston in particular – as a potential place to relocate. The economy is booming in the Bayou City.

Houston is one of the leading U.S. cities in both domestic and international business, with economic and cultural ties reaching across the globe. Of course, the city owes much of its current good fortune to its role as the center of energy production for much of the country.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Houston created 95,800 jobs from October 2011 through October 2012, giving the Bayou City the greatest job growth out of all top metropolitan areas in the country. No wonder Houston staffing agencies are placing qualified applicants into jobs into areas such as energy exploration and production, oil field services and equipment manufacturing.

Industries beyond energy

The presence of major energy companies such as Exxon and Conoco Phillips in Houston’s Energy Corridor lead to jobs not only in the energy sector, but it also provides incentive for other major companies to conduct their business in the area. Top Houston staffing agencies like Murray Resources can help you explore opportunities in other growth industries, such as real estate, construction, and healthcare. As one of the largest cities in the country, Houston is home to most every industry found in a major city. The difference? Houston is hiring.

Your dollar goes farther

When Forbes conducted a study analyzing wages in major cities, as well as the cost of living in those cities, Houston took the top spot. Cost of living, which includes factors such as consumer prices and services, utilities and transportation costs, and housing prices, gave Houston the lead in how far your dollar can take you overall, no matter your salary. In fact, the ratio of the median home price to median annual household income in Houston is only 2.9; in San Francisco, for example, a house goes for 6.7 times the median local household income. Not only can you afford to maintain a comfortable standard of living, as a Texas resident, you’ll pay no state income tax, which automatically boosts your personal buying power.

As if all this isn’t enough to tempt you to Texas’s biggest city, add in the fact that Houston tops the list for fastest growing wages of any city in the US and you’ve got even more incentive to consider making a move.

Thriving cultural scene

In 2012, Forbes named Houston America’s Coolest City to Live In for good reason. The city has jobs, and jobs have meant nearly 50,000 Americans moved there — many of them young professionals who prefer a more vibrant lifestyle. In fact, the median age of a Houston resident is a youthful 33. This has led to a transformation of Houston’s dreary corporate cityscape, which now offers up stylish housing developments downtown, restaurants residing in former factories and art galleries roosting in artsy warehouse environments.

Not only is the Houston region the most ethnically diverse large metropolitan area in the country, surpassing even New York City, it’s also one of the safest cities in the US, according to a survey released by Mercer, an international Human Resources and financial advisement firm. They measured crime levels, law enforcement effectiveness, and internal stability to determine the cities with the top personal safety rankings.

The city’s melting pot of backgrounds offers a wealth of culture and cuisine. Even so, everyone seems to agree on one food item: the great American hamburger. Houston has the country’s best burgers, according to Travel + Leisure magazine’s Favorite Cities survey that asked its readers to pick among 35 major US cities.

A better life

With good paying jobs in a variety of industries, an affordable cost of living, and a vivid cultural scene, Houston offers a lot.

Are you a talented professional looking for your next career move?

Turn to Murray Resources, award-winning Houston recruiting firm, for help in exploring your next career opportunity. Contact Murray Resources today at 713.935.0009 or apply to one of our open Houston jobs to get started.