Who we are

Bellaire-West University Essentials magazine is exactly what its name implies — the source of essential information about their communities that our readers can find nowhere else, conveniently delivered each month into their mailboxes at every home in the exclusive 77401 and 77005 ZIP codes.

Essentials is not a local newspaper that lies unread in a gutter, nor a glossy magazine devoid of content, nor a direct-mail piece that gets tossed in the trash without a glance.

Essentials is read, from cover-to-cover — hyperlocal and compelling. It is where readers find out about the critical decisions made by their City Councils, about their taxes, real estate trends, critical infrastructure issues such as flooding, about local schools, businesses, events, youth sports.

From our publisher, editor and contributors, who live, work, and shop in Bellaire/West University, to our advertisers who are both in these communities or nearby, who recognize and appreciate our readers’ buying power — everyone involved with Essentials is dedicated to filling a void left by other news media.

Our hyperlocal content and hyperlocal advertising blend together seamlessly, producing both informed readers and intelligent consumers. You should consider advertising with us as an essential part of your marketing strategy.

Where we deliver

Essentials Magazine is delivered by the USPS to the 5,674 single-family homes and businesses in ZIP code 77005 (city of West University Place, the city of Southside Place and the Rice Village area), and to the 6,272 single-family homes and businesses in ZIP code 77401 (city of Bellaire).

The City of West University Place has a population of 15,608 and Bellaire has 18,797 residents, according to a 2017 population estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau — but those numbers tell only a fraction of the story of what makes these desirable markets.

Bellaire and West University consistently rank at or near the top of local, regional and national surveys of income, education, housing prices, quality of schools, parks and public safety in Texas and the U.S.

For instance, according to a report in USA Today in October 2018, West University Place the best city to live in both Texas and the United States.

Both cities boast more than 98 percent white-collar residents — professionals, managers, sales and office workers — well above the national average. West University Place is top-heavy in management occupations (17.17%), healthcare (15.15%), and legal occupations (14.45%). Similarly, Bellaire has many residents employed in healthcare (19.99%), management occupations (18.31%), and sales jobs (9.46%).

Two points of interest:

• Bellaire is home to an unusual number of scientists — whether they be life scientists, physical scientists, or social scientists attracted by the Houston area’s celebrated medical, space and energy fields. And Bellaire has more residents working in computers and math than 95 percent of the places in the US.
• West University Place is a city of creativity, with more artists, designers and media professionals than 90 percent of the communities in America.

West University Place and Bellaire are two of the most educated communities in America, with 86.70 percent and 78.81 percent of all adults holding a college degree or an advanced degree, compared to a national average across all communities of 21.84 percent.

The per capita income in West University Place in 2016 was $114,586, wealthy relative to Texas and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $458,344 for a family of four. The per capita income in Bellaire in 2016 was $86,805, an annual income of $347,220 for a four-person family.

Each city is home to many people who could be described as “urban sophisticates” — residents who are both educated and wealthy, and thus tend to be older, richer, and more established than young professionals. But “urban sophistication” is not just about being educated and well-off financially: it is a point of view and state of mind, of being involved in family, career and community.

West University Place and Bellaire residents read our magazine (almost 80 percent) and our careful melding of editorial depth and advertising integrity makes us a trusted source, both for information and for the best way to spend large discretionary incomes.