The Heights vs River Oaks
Greater Houston, TX: ACS figures, FEMA flood zone, and commute for both
Cost and Demographics
Both columns below come from the same Census ACS tables, so The Heights and River Oaks are measured the same way and each side links its own source.
| Metric | The Heights | River Oaks | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median owner-occupied home value (ACS) | $609,300 (2023) | $795,278 (2023) | US Census ACS, US Census ACS |
| Median gross rent (ACS) | $1,567 (2023) | $1,865 (2023) | US Census ACS, US Census ACS |
| Median household income | $142,414 (2023) | $105,888 (2023) | US Census ACS, US Census ACS |
| Population | 40,155 (2023) | 42,931 (2023) | US Census ACS, US Census ACS |
Flood Zone in Each Community
FEMA maps The Heights as more than one flood zone and River Oaks as Zone X (AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARD). Where the zone varies, whether flood insurance is federally required depends on the specific address rather than the community.
| FEMA flood zone | VARIES (AE, X) | X (AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARD) |
| Special Flood Hazard Area | varies | No |
Each designation was sampled at the community centroid and at four points about a mile out; "varies" means those samples disagreed, so the community genuinely has no single zone. Check a specific address on the FEMA Map Service Center before drawing an insurance conclusion either way.
Commute to Job Centers from Each
Estimated one-way minutes from each community's centroid to every major Houston employer campus, so the same commute is priced from both sides.
| Job center | The Heights | River Oaks | Closer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Methodist | 14 min | 6 min | River Oaks |
| Memorial Hermann | 13 min | 6 min | River Oaks |
| Chevron | 9 min | 7 min | River Oaks |
| MD Anderson | 14 min | 7 min | River Oaks |
| NRG Energy | 10 min | 8 min | River Oaks |
| Devon Energy | 17 min | 17 min | tie |
| Halliburton | 24 min | 31 min | The Heights |
| SLB | 26 min | 25 min | River Oaks |
| Baker Hughes | 27 min | 27 min | tie |
| ConocoPhillips | 27 min | 27 min | tie |
| McDermott International | 27 min | 27 min | tie |
| Sysco | 28 min | 27 min | River Oaks |
| United Airlines | 30 min | 38 min | The Heights |
| HPE | 46 min | 54 min | The Heights |
| ExxonMobil | 47 min | 54 min | The Heights |
| NASA | 58 min | 53 min | River Oaks |
| Daikin | 70 min | 75 min | The Heights |
Straight-line distance converted at ~45mph effective speed. Estimates are not measured drive times. Real I-10, 290 and 59 traffic can exceed them.