Houston, TX

Census Place

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2023 Population

2.3M

0.181% 1-year growth

US Senator

John Cornyn

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Cruz

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

34.3

1.18% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

19.7%

0.476% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$62,894

4.06% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$253,400

7.83% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

1.14M

0.721% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Houston, TX had a population of 2.3M people with a median age of 34.3 and a median household income of $62,894. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Houston, TX grew from 2.3M to 2.3M, a 0.181% increase and its median household income grew from $60,440 to $62,894, a 4.06% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Houston, TX are White (Non-Hispanic) (23.6%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (22.5%), Two+ (Hispanic) (16.8%), Other (Hispanic) (14.2%), and White (Hispanic) (11.9%).

None of the households in Houston, TX reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

80.9% of the residents in Houston, TX are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Houston, TX are University of Houston (10,852 degrees awarded in 2022), Houston Community College (225423) (6,679 degrees), and University of Houston-Downtown (4,248 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Houston, TX was $253,400, and the homeownership rate was 42%.

Most people in Houston, TX drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Houston, TX was 2 cars per household.

Photo by Katie Haugland Bowen

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Population & Diversity

Houston, TX is home to a population of 2.3M people, from which 80.9% are citizens. As of 2023, 28.7% of Houston, TX residents were born outside of the country (660k people).

In 2023, there were 1.05 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (543k people) in Houston, TX than any other race or ethnicity. There were 518k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 386k Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

80.9%

2023 Citizenship

80.7%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 80.9% of Houston, TX residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Houston, TX was 80.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Houston, TX compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Houston, TX

White (Non-Hispanic)
543k ± 8.19k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
518k ± 8.53k
Two+ (Hispanic)
386k ± 11k

44.1%

Hispanic Population

1.01M people

44.1% of the people in Houston, TX are hispanic (1.01M people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Houston, TX as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Texas.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
2,430,315 ± 36,649 people
India
305,649 ± 13,502 people
El Salvador
224,600 ± 11,591 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Texas was Mexico, the natal country of 2,430,315 Texas residents, followed by India with 305,649 and El Salvador with 224,600.

Foreign-Born Population

28.7%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

660k people

28.8%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

662k people

As of 2023, 28.7% of Houston, TX residents (660k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Houston, TX was 28.8%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Houston, TX compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
18,473 ± 1,041
Gulf War (2001-)
16,956 ± 1,207
Gulf War (1990s)
9,736 ± 945

Houston, TX has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.09 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Houston, TX employs 1.14M people. The largest industries in Houston, TX are Health Care & Social Assistance (131,509 people), Construction (125,099 people), and Retail Trade (115,267 people), and the highest paying industries are Management of Companies & Enterprises ($135,699), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($132,123), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($121,840).

Males in Texas have an average income that is 1.38 times higher than the average income of females, which is $58,213. The income inequality in Texas (measured using the Gini index) is 0.476, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

1.14M

2023 Value

± 10,836

0.721%

1 Year growth

± 1.34%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Houston, TX grew at a rate of 0.721%, from 1.13M employees to 1.14M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Houston, TX, are Management Occupations (112,918 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (108,545 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (105,609 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Houston, TX.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Texas (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

1.14M

2023 Value

± 10,836

0.721%

1 Year growth

± 1.34%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Houston, TX grew at a rate of 0.721%, from 1.13M employees to 1.14M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Houston, TX, are Health Care & Social Assistance (131,509 people), Construction (125,099 people), and Retail Trade (115,267 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Houston, TX, though some of these residents may live in Houston, TX and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$46,596

Median earning men ± $618

$37,185

Median earning women ± $479

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($133,501), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($83,308), and Public Administration ($69,235).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($107,550), Wholesale Trade ($54,274), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,195).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

Y-Axis

4.59%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 13.8M people employed in Texas. This represents a 4.59% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 9.63%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Texas.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Texas went to Donald J. Trump with 56.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Jill Stein (0.726%).

John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are the senators currently representing the state of Texas. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Texas is currently represented by 38 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Houston, TX. Showing the available data for Texas.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (56.1%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (42.5%)
Democratic Party
Jill Stein (0.726%)
Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Texas went to Donald J. Trump with 56.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Jill Stein (0.726%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Texas for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Texas

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

John Cornyn

Senator from Texas

Assumed office on December 2, 2002
Phil Gramm resigned (effective November 30, 2002) a few weeks before the expiration of his term in hopes that his successor, fellow Republican John Cornyn, could gain seniority over other newly elected senators. However, Cornyn did not gain additional seniority due to a 1980 Rules Committee policy.

Ted Cruz

Senator from Texas

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are the senators currently representing Texas.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Texas over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Texas

Texas is currently represented by 38 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Texas have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Houston, TX awarded 40,003 degrees. The student population of Houston, TX in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 66,918 male students and 92,916 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Houston, TX are Hispanic or Latino (12,666 and 34.1%), followed by Black or African American (8,400 and 22.6%), White (8,202 and 22.1%), and Asian (4,981 and 13.4%).

The largest universities in Houston, TX by number of degrees awarded are University of Houston (10,852 and 27.1%), Houston Community College (225423) (6,679 and 16.7%), and University of Houston-Downtown (4,248 and 10.6%).

The most popular majors in Houston, TX are General Business Administration & Management (2,447 and 6.12%), General Studies (2,039 and 5.1%), and Medical Assistant (1,959 and 4.9%).

The median tuition costs in Houston, TX are $31,724 for private four year colleges, and $6,941 and $20,877 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Houston, TX, the percentage of applicants admitted was 52.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 25.6%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 159,834 (41.9% men and 58.1% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 159,834 students enrolled in Houston, TX, 41.9% men and 58.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 54,261 records, of which 60.2% were women and 39.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
1,213 degrees awarded
General Psychology
1,105 degrees awarded
Other Multidisciplinary Studies
1,032 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Houston, TX was Registered Nursing with 1,213 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Houston, TX according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Houston
10,852 degrees awarded
Houston Community College (225423)
6,679 degrees awarded
University of Houston-Downtown
4,248 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Houston with 10,852 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 16,050 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Houston, TX, which is 0.67 times less than the 23,953 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 12,666 degrees mean that there were 1.51 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 8,400 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($31,724) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,556) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($2,250) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

Measure

In 2022, 1.59% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.53% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (5.7M), Some college (4.97M), and Bachelors Degree (4.2M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Houston, TX was $253,400 in 2023, which is 0.835 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $235,000 to $253,400, a 7.83% increase. The homeownership rate in Houston, TX is 42%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Houston, TX have an average commute time of 27.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Houston, TX is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Houston, TX is $62,894. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Houston, TX was Census Tract 4112 with a value of $250,001, followed by Census Tract 4114 and Census Tract 4126, with respective values of $250,001 and $250,001.

Housing

Property

$253,400

Median Property Value 2023

±$3,239

$384,672

Median Property Taxes

±$5,204

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Houston, TX the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Houston, TX compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

42%

Homeownership

2023

65%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 42% of the housing units in Houston, TX were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 42%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Houston, TX compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 4112
Census Tract 4114
Census Tract 4126

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Houston, TX was Census Tract 4112 with a value of $250,001, followed by Census Tract 4114 and Census Tract 4126, with respective values of $250,001 and $250,001.

The following map shows all of the places in Houston, TX colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$62,894

Median Household Income

± $833

917k

Number of Households

± 9,110

In 2023, the median household income of the 917k households in Houston, TX grew to $62,894 from the previous year's value of $60,440.

The following chart displays the households in Houston, TX distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Houston, TX is from Texas.

0.476

2022 Wage GINI in Texas

0.476

2021 Wage GINI in Texas

In 2022, the income inequality in Texas was 0.476 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0231% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Texas was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Texas in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Texas across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (69.7%)
Worked At Home (11.7%)
Carpooled (10.1%)

In 2023, 69.7% of workers in Houston, TX drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.7%) and those who carpooled to work (10.1%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

27.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Houston, TX have a longer commute time (27.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.82% of the workforce in Houston, TX have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Houston, TX compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Houston, TX distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Houston, TX have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

19.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Houston, TX (446k out of 2.26M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Houston, TX is Hispanic, followed by Black and White.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

76% of the population of Houston, TX has health coverage, with 39% on employee plans, 18.1% on Medicaid, 8.5% on Medicare, 9.68% on non-group plans, and 0.741% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Harris County, TX see 1700 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.532% increase from the previous year (1691 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1356 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 660 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Harris County, TX.

1,700 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Harris County, TX

Primary care physicians in Harris County, TX see an average of 1,700 patients per year. This represents a 0.532% increase from the previous year (1,691 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Harris County, TX in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25% under 18 years, 26.4% between 18 and 34 years, 36.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 11.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.8% were men and 52.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

24%

Uninsured

39%

Employer Coverage

18.1%

Medicaid

8.5%

Medicare

9.68%

Non-Group

0.741%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Houston, TX declined by 0.997% from 24.2% to 24%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Houston, TX changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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