West University Place, Texas
West University Place, often called West University or West U for short, is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area and southwestern Harris County. At the 2020 U.S. census, the population of the city was 14,955. It is nicknamed "The Neighborhood City" and is mainly a bedroom community for upper-class families.
West University Place is surrounded by the cities of Bellaire, Houston, and Southside Place. As of 2025, West University Place is the wealthiest suburb in Texas with an average household income of $409,677 and a typical home value of $1,758,363.
History
The city was developed in 1917 by Ben Hooper, a former Tennessee governor. The name "West University Place" originated from its proximity to Rice Institute, now known as Rice University. The first lots in the community were sold in 1917. Portions of West University were previously within the Harris County Poor farm, which extended from an area between Bellaire Boulevard and Bissonnet Street, eastward to an area near the "poor farm ditch."In the 1920s, Lillian "Lilly" Nicholson, a Rice University English major, lived with a friend whose father was a city planner. The city planner asked Nicholson and her friend to name the streets of West University Place. Nicholson took names from her English literature book and gave them to the streets in West University Place. As a result, many West University streets are named after authors. Cydney Mackey, a family friend of Nicholson, said in a Houston Chronicle article, "Aunt Lilly had always said she wanted to be an architect, unknown for women in that era, and this was her way of making a small but lasting mark on our city's landscape." One street, Weslayan Road, is a misspelling of "Wesleyan."
The City of West University Place was declared incorporated by the County Judge of Harris County on January 2, 1924. The city incorporated because Houston was reluctant to extend power lines that far from the city center. West University Place, unlike Houston Heights, did not consolidate into the City of Houston. Because of the 1923 incorporation, Houston did not incorporate West University Place's territory into its city limits, while Houston annexed surrounding areas that were unincorporated. In 1939, the municipality refused to consolidate, later adopting a formal city charter the following year. The city had around 15,000 residents in the 1960s and the 1970s. The city had 12,714 people in 1990.
Prior to 1992 West University Place liberalized its development rules. This allowed developers to build new houses within the city. Don Stowers of the Houston Post said that West University Place changed from an "aging middle-class neighborhood" consisting of mid-20th century bungalows and cottages to an increasingly wealthy community of "dare we say, young urban professionals in their austere red-brick Georgians." As new houses appeared, property values increased and the city began to get more tax revenue. Eventually, West University Place ran out of available lots, and its construction peaked. Area home buyers began to consider nearby Bellaire because it had more inexpensive and larger lots, and amenities described by Stowers as "comparable" to West University Place's amenities.On October 22, 2018 24/7 Wall Street, which collaborates with USA Today, ranked West University Place the "best city to live in".
Geography
West University Place is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all land. The city of Houston surrounds much of West University Place. The boundaries are roughly Bellaire Boulevard/Holcombe Boulevard, Kirby Drive, Bissonnet Road, and Community Drive. West University Place is from Downtown Houston.The city's boundaries are Kirby Drive to the east, Union Pacific St. Louis Southwestern Railway railroad track to the west, Bellaire Boulevard/West Holcombe Boulevard to the south, and Bissonnet and Law Streets to the north. Viewed on a map, the city shape resembles a little house, with a "chimney" to the west side, and since it surrounds the city of Southside Place, a "door" is formed on the map surrounding Southside Place.
The Poor Farm Ditch is a ditch that drains into the Brays Bayou that formerly belonged to the Harris County poor farm. In 1928, the ditch was dredged after significant flooding had occurred in the area. On occasions, the ditch still flooded. The commissioners of the City of West University adjourned their meeting so they could dam streets in December 1935. The Harris County Flood Control District, in 1954, widened and deepened the ditch and added a concrete bottom and siding. During that year the district installed a chain link fence. To make the ditch more attractive, the Sunset Terrace Garden Club planted oleanders around the ditch; the oleanders obscure the view of the ditch from Edloe Street to the east. The West University Garden Club maintained the flowers. A 2001 Edloe Greenbelt proposal called for the removal of the flowers.
Cityscape
In 2018, Texas Monthly described West U as "an orderly quarter where older brick bungalows and modest two-story colonials reside in peace alongside grand—but not too grand—new construction. in 2018" The typical lot size in West University Place is.The original housing stock of West University Place consisted of mid-20th century bungalows and cottages. Prior to 1992, the City of West University Place liberalized its development rules, allowing for new houses to be built in the city. As lot sizes were typically approximately by, the houses constructed were Georgian houses described by Don Stowers of the Houston Post as "lot hugging." Because nearby Bellaire had larger, more inexpensive lots, many area home seekers began to consider Bellaire. In a 15-year period ending in 2002, around half of the existing houses in West University Place were torn down and replaced with newer houses.
There are a total of 26 subdivisions within West University: West University Place, Belle Court, Bissonnet Place, Cambridge Place, College Court, College View, Colonial Terrace, Cunningham Terrace, Evanston, Fairview, Kent Place, Krenzler Court, Matthews Place, Monticello, Pemberton, Pershing Place, Preston Place, Quenby Court, Rice Court, Sunset Terrace, Tangley Place, and Virginia Court. Rice Court is located north of University Boulevard and east of Buffalo Speedway. Pemberton is an area south of University Drive and east of Wakeforest Street. People living in the area were fond of restoration of older houses, and it includes some of West U's more expensive homes. Colonial Terrace is west of Weslayan Street and is near the railroad tracks.
Demographics
2020 census
2010 census
At the 2010 U.S. census, there were 14,787 people, 5,260 households, and 4,264 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 5,543 housing units at an average density of. As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,955 people, 5,460 households, and 4,654 families residing in the city.In 2010, the racial makeup of the city was 90.6% White, 0.80% African American, 0.2% Native American, 8.4% Asian, 0.90% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.9% of the population. In 2020, 71.94% of the population was non-Hispanic white, 0.8% African American, 0.15% Native American, 12.63% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.33% some other race, 4.67% multiracial, and 9.45% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,260 households, out of which 44.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.1% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.9% were non-families. 15.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.6% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 34.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $202,132, and the median income for a family was $227,425. Males had a median income of $168,056 versus $71,910 for females. About 1.4% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.
many residents include lawyers and employees of the nearby institutions Rice University and the Texas Medical Center; that year Swartz described the community as "a prosperous place" that nevertheless is not "as flashy as wealthy neighborhoods like River Oaks or Memorial". In 2009 Claudia Feldman of the Houston Chronicle described West University Place as a "wealthy city inside a city" and "a tidy, orderly community, one where furniture matches, bills get paid and accomplished parents raise accomplished children." John Nova Lomax, a journalist, stated in a 2008 Houston Press article that, due to the growth and dominance of Houston, municipal enclaves with their own services, including West University Place, "are little more than glorified neighborhoods."
As of 2011, 85% of adults living in West University Place had bachelor's degrees, making it the community with the highest percentage of adults with bachelor's degrees in the Southern United States.
Religion
West University Baptist Church was established in 1928 by Nannie David; at the time the charter indicated 18 members. Beginning circa 2007 there was an attempt to swap land with the city government, but some residents protested as they feared eminent domain. In 2015 the attempt ended in failure after political rancor.St. Andrews Presbyterian Church is in the city limits. In 2004 there were fewer than 600 members, and Sarah Williams of the West U Examiner described it as being "midsize".
St. George Orthodox Church moved to West University Place in September 1954. In 2012 it received mosaics made by a British artist, Aidan Hart.
The area Catholic church, St. Vincent de Paul, is in the Houston city limits. It was established in 1939 with the parish church being built from the following year. The Catholic church is a part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.