The Clear Lake area, often called Bay Area Houston, wraps around Clear Lake and the western shore of Galveston Bay about 25 miles southeast of downtown Houston. It is home to NASA's Johnson Space Center, the University of Houston-Clear Lake and a string of marinas, plus the waterfront in Kemah. Webster, League City, Dickinson and Kemah surround the Clear Lake neighborhood of Houston, and together they offer a wide range of rental options.
The area at a glance
NASA Johnson Space Center and its official visitor center, Space Center Houston, sit off NASA Parkway, and much of the local economy is tied to aerospace and the contractors that support it. The University of Houston-Clear Lake campus is on Bay Area Boulevard. Kemah, at the mouth of Clear Lake, is known for the Kemah Boardwalk, with rides, restaurants and views over Galveston Bay. League City, to the south, has grown into a large suburban city, and Webster sits between NASA and I-45 with a cluster of hospitals and retail.
On our site, the area covers ZIP codes 77058, 77062, 77598 and 77573. The Census figures below use ZCTA 77058, near NASA and the lake, from the American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020–2024).
Getting around
Walk Score rates Clear Lake 38 out of 100 for walking ("Car-Dependent"), with a Transit Score of 2 and a Bike Score of 46, at the time of writing. Expect to drive for nearly everything; the low Transit Score reflects limited local bus service.
I-45 (the Gulf Freeway) is the main route north to downtown Houston and south to Galveston. NASA Parkway and Bay Area Boulevard run east to west across the area, and SH 146 follows the bayfront through Kemah toward La Porte and Texas City. For downtown commuters, METRO's Bay Area Park & Ride on Bay Area Boulevard runs weekday express buses along the I-45 HOV lane. The Census puts mean travel time to work at 25.9 minutes for ZCTA 77058, and commutes within the Bay Area are often much shorter than a trip into the city.
What's nearby
Space and aviation. Space Center Houston offers exhibits and tram tours of Johnson Space Center. The Lone Star Flight Museum, at Ellington Airport, displays restored aircraft.
Waterfront. The Kemah Boardwalk has rides, restaurants and shopping on the bay, and the area's marinas around Clear Lake support sailing and boating.
Nature. Armand Bayou Nature Center, a large urban wilderness preserve, has trails and guided bayou tours.
Food. Ishtia, a Native American restaurant on Harris Avenue in Kemah, was No. 17 on the Houston Chronicle's 2025 Top 100, and Fish & Chips, a British pub on Bradford Avenue in Kemah, also made the list. Tommy's Restaurant & Oyster Bar on Bay Area Boulevard is a longtime Clear Lake seafood spot.
The apartment landscape
- Garden-style communities are the main type, especially along Bay Area Boulevard, El Dorado Boulevard, NASA Parkway and the I-45 corridor. Many date from the 1970s and 1980s, and newer communities have filled in along I-45 and in League City.
- Waterfront and lake-view communities near Clear Lake and Nassau Bay, some with marina access.
- Single-family homes, townhomes and condos for rent throughout the area, leased by individual owners.
The Census reports a median gross rent of $1,409 a month for ZCTA 77058 (ACS 2024 5-year), and about 69% of its occupied homes were renter-occupied. Gross rent is the Census measure of contract rent plus estimated utilities, and it covers every rented home in the ZIP, from older duplexes to new towers, so treat it as a baseline rather than a quote for any one building. League City and the newer communities along I-45 can price differently, so call us for current numbers.
Tips for renting in the Clear Lake area
- Read the flood disclosure carefully. This is a coastal area with bayous and low-lying land. Texas Property Code §92.0135 requires landlords to tell you in writing whether a unit is in a 100-year floodplain and whether it has flooded in the past five years. Ask about the property's storm history too.
- Get flood coverage for your belongings. Standard renters insurance generally excludes flood. Ask your insurer about separate coverage.
- Ask about hurricane procedures. Find out how the property communicates before and after storms and how quickly it has handled repairs.
- Locate by employer. If you work at NASA or a nearby contractor, a building near NASA Parkway or Bay Area Boulevard can make for a short commute. If you work downtown, look near I-45 and the Park & Ride.
- See the actual unit in older communities, and ask which units are renovated and what the price difference is.
- Read concessions as effective rent, and ask which lease terms qualify.
Start your search in the Clear Lake area
Our neighborhood guide to the Clear Lake area maps every 4-star-and-above building we work with in the area. When you are ready, tell us your budget, move date and must-haves on Find Your Apartment, or call us at (713) 357-6339. We do in one conversation what takes most renters weeks on their own — and the properties pay us, so it costs you nothing.
Sources
- spacecenter.org/
- www.kemahboardwalk.com/
- lonestarflight.org/
- www.abnc.org/
- www.uhcl.edu/
- www.walkscore.com/TX/Houston/Clear_Lake
- www.ridemetro.org/riding-metro/transit-facility-addresses
- www.ridemetro.org/riding-metro/transit-services/park-and-ride-bus
- www.houstonchronicle.com/project/top-100-restaurants-houston/
- tommys.com/
- www.fema.gov/flood-insurance
- censusreporter.org/data/table/?table=B25064&geo_ids=86000US77058
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PR/htm/PR.92.htm