Expats moving to Houston, a great, big Texan tangle of a city, may very well find the ever-expanding urban sprawl of this former western frontier overwhelming. For starters, it’s the fourth largest city in the US, with a population of over 5 million people within its 10-county radius.

Furthermore, cattle, cowboys and cacti aren’t exactly everybody’s “piece of pie” (pecan is a Texan favourite). The good news, however, is that Houston is no longer merely a metropolis where oil money mandates actions and attitudes, and big belt buckles, chaps and spurs are considered haute couture.

The city is embracing a newfound cultural conscience, and the affair has engendered a buzz of innovative restaurants, a gush of quirky art galleries and a downtown revitalisation that’s in the process of transforming formerly blighted neighbourhoods into attractive and energetic residential and entertainment areas.

As a result, expats living in Houston will find that the city is very much what they make of it. Those coming to toil and save can take comfort in an economic climate that’s noted for its enterprising spirit and its consistent history of job creation. Houston is the energy capital of Texas, and is home to over 20 Fortune 500 companies; and apart from the oil and gas industry, plenty of other sectors are progressing and banking significant achievements (IT, business services, aerospace, medical and biotechnology, to name a few).

And those expats accompanying spouses, moving to Houston with kids, or relocating on their own, can celebrate the relatively low cost of living, affordable accommodation, and the well-maintained infrastructure of the city.

Houston boasts one of the best medical centres in the world; has a school system so large and varied that even the most demanding, overbearing parents can settle on a satisfactory option; and claims a snarl of superhighways that make it possible to get from point A to point B effectively, though not always so efficiently – rush hour traffic is admittedly an issue in the city. Furthermore, it's absolutely necessary to have a car in Houston, though public transportation does exist, it is slow and doesn't service the comprehensive Houston area.

Expats may have some trouble adjusting to the spiking humidity and high temperatures. Summer days, in particular, can be sweltering, but there are plenty of places to cool off as air condioning is available at most places, and the mild winters make up for any uncomfortable weather-related emotions experienced in June, July and August.

Not to mention, many expats living in Houston are surprised to find that the city is actually bursting with greenery; tree-lined streets, urban forests, manicured parkland and odd graces of green public space pop up in and around gated communities and neighbourhoods.

What’s more, there’s plenty to keep even the most flamboyant social butterfly flapping happily about. Festivals feature throughout the year; professional sports teams always have a much-anticipated match scheduled for the near future; music and theatre performances abound; and the beaches and lakes of Galveston Bay are only a hop, skip and a jump away.

So even if you’ve never heard of Tex-Mex, you’d rather die than dance at a honkey-tonk, and you’d just as soon exchange a barbecue for a refined béarnaise sauce, the initial growing pains associated with relocating to Houston will likely abate before you know it.