
Longtime residents of the Greater Houston area have likely heard the term “unincorporated area” at some point, due in part to the fact that large portions of what is considered Houston are actually outside the city limits.
Moving outside Loop 610, the spaces in between downtown Houston and surrounding suburban cities, such as Humble and Kingwood, fall into county jurisdiction. That means basic services, such as water, sewer, police and road maintenance, are handled at the county level by a court of local commissioners.
Residents should consider some key differences if they decide to move from a city to an unincorporated area, or vice versa.
For example, homeowners living in unincorporated Harris County would not pay city taxes, but they will likely pay money to an emergency services district and a hospital district that is managed by the county to ensure residents in the area will still have access to police, fire, ambulance and health services.