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.Lee, Renée C. "Annexed Kingwood split on effects." Houston Chronicle. Sunday October 8, 2006. A21. Retrieved on July 6, 2011. "Some of the area communities that incorporated as cities and escaped annexation by Houston:" Print version exclusively has the information cited; the information is not included in the online edition. To obtain a print version, you may get a microfilm copy from the Houston Public Library Jones Building or the University of Houston Main Library. 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."Lake, Deborah Mann. "Ditch in West U. once served county farm." Houston Chronicle. Wednesday April 18, 2001. ThisWeek 4. Retrieved on October 17, 2012. See clipping at Newspapers.com.
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."Rust, Carol. "Houston has street sense (and nonsense as well)" (). Houston Chronicle. Wednesday April 16, 1997. Houston 1. Retrieved on October 26, 2011. 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."Stowers, Don. "Bellaire small-town flavor, big-city convenience." Houston Post. April 26, 1992. L section. Available from the microfilm desk at the Jesse H. Jones Building of the Houston Public Library Central Library. 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 (29.715929, −95.432992). 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."City Map ." City of West University Place. Retrieved on November 11, 2011. 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. (See map)
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" - Article first posted June 8, 2018 The typical lot size in West University Place is .Feser, Katherine. "Renovations increase area's appeal, prices" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Sunday January 28, 2001. Retrieved on February 20, 2012.
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.Feser, Katherine. "Restoration the way to go in Pemberton" (). Houston Chronicle. July 8, 2002. Retrieved on December 30, 2008.
There are a total of 26 subdivisions within West University: West University Place (First and Second), Belle Court, Bissonnet Place, Cambridge Place, College Court (part), College View (1st through 4th), Colonial Terrace, Cunningham Terrace, Evanston, Fairview, Kent Place, Krenzler Court, Matthews Place, Monticello, Pemberton, Pershing Place, Preston Place, Quenby Court, Rice Court, Sunset Terrace (part), Tangley Place, and Virginia Court."Zoning Map." City of West University Place. Retrieved on March 24, 2019. 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
Racial and ethnic composition +West University Place city, Texas – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)12,60212,06610,75888.68%81.60%71.94%Black or African American alone (NH)641141200.45%0.77%0.80%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)927230.06%0.18%0.15%Asian alone (NH)6721,2251,8894.73%8.28%12.63%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)3030.02%0.00%0.02%Other race alone (NH)2247500.15%0.32%0.33%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)1682816991.18%1.90%4.67%Hispanic or Latino (any race)6711,0271,4134.72%6.95%9.45%Total14,21114,78714,955 100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census As of the 2020 census, West University Place had a population of 14,955. The median age was 41.6 years. 29.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.5 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 5,043 households and 4,654 families in West University Place. Of the households, 46.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 78.7% were married-couple households, 6.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 13.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 12.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 5,308 housing units, of which 5.0% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.8%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 11,040 73.8% Black or African American 127 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native 24 0.2% Asian 1,898 12.7% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 6 0.0% Some other race 184 1.2% Two or more races 1,676 11.2% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 1,413 9.4%
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 .
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.
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.