Harris County, TX

County

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2022 Population

4.73M

0.601% 1-year growth

US Senator

John Cornyn

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Cruz

Republican Party

2022 Median Age

34.1

0.59% 1-year increase

2022 Poverty Rate

15.8%

0.955% 1-year increase

2022 Median Household Income

$70,789

7.6% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$235,300

16.9% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

2.29M

1.22% 1-year growth

About

In 2022, Harris County, TX had a population of 4.73M people with a median age of 34.1 and a median household income of $70,789. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Harris County, TX grew from 4.7M to 4.73M, a 0.601% increase and its median household income grew from $65,788 to $70,789, a 7.6% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Harris County, TX are White (Non-Hispanic) (27.6%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (18.5%), White (Hispanic) (18.4%), Two+ (Hispanic) (12.8%), and Other (Hispanic) (11.6%).

None of the households in Harris County, 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.

84% of the residents in Harris County, TX are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Harris County, TX are University of Houston (10,852 degrees awarded in 2022), San Jacinto Community College (227979) (8,335 degrees), and Houston Community College (225423) (6,679 degrees).

In 2022, the median property value in Harris County, TX was $235,300, and the homeownership rate was 54.6%.

Most people in Harris County, TX drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29 minutes. The average car ownership in Harris County, TX was 2 cars per household.

Harris County, TX borders Brazoria County, TX, Chambers County, TX, Fort Bend County, TX, Galveston County, TX, Liberty County, TX, Montgomery County, TX, and Waller County, TX.

Photo by xiquinhosilva

United States Texas Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Population & Diversity

Harris County, TX is home to a population of 4.73M people, from which 84% are citizens. As of 2022, 26.1% of Harris County, TX residents were born outside of the country (1.23M people).

In 2022, there were 1.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.31M people) in Harris County, TX than any other race or ethnicity. There were 872k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 869k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

84%

2022 Citizenship

83.9%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 84% of Harris County, TX residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Harris County, TX was 83.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Harris County, TX

White (Non-Hispanic)
1.31M ± 2.48k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
872k ± 3.64k
White (Hispanic)
869k ± 13.8k

43.9%

Hispanic Population

2.08M people

43.9% of the people in Harris County, TX are hispanic (2.08M people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County 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

26.1%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

1.23M people

26.2%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

1.23M people

As of 2022, 26.1% of Harris County, TX residents (1.23M people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Harris County, TX was 26.2%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
46,726 ± 2,422
Vietnam
42,939 ± 1,501
Gulf War (1990s)
26,010 ± 1,785

Harris County, TX has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.09 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Harris County, TX employs 2.29M people. The largest industries in Harris County, TX are Health Care & Social Assistance (243,656 people), Retail Trade (243,265 people), and Construction (242,232 people), and the highest paying industries are Management of Companies & Enterprises ($124,286), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($117,026), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($112,794).

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

2.29M

2022 Value

± 15,984

1.22%

1 Year growth

± 0.976%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Harris County, TX grew at a rate of 1.22%, from 2.26M employees to 2.29M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Harris County, TX, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (236,579 people), Sales & Related Occupations (230,836 people), and Management Occupations (229,106 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Harris County, 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

2.29M

2022 Value

± 15,984

1.22%

1 Year growth

± 0.976%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Harris County, TX grew at a rate of 1.22%, from 2.26M employees to 2.29M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Harris County, TX, are Health Care & Social Assistance (243,656 people), Retail Trade (243,265 people), and Construction (242,232 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Harris County, TX, though some of these residents may live in Harris County, TX and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$48,909

Median earning men ± $525

$36,179

Median earning women ± $382

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($118,738), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($72,346), and Public Administration ($71,851).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($93,283), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($51,004), and Manufacturing ($50,648).

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.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

10,695
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
6,692
Retail Trade
6,365
Health Care and Social Assistance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$20.9M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$20.2M
Management of Companies and Enterprises
$18.6M
Health Care and Social Assistance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Harris County, TX went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 56% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (42.7%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.03%).

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

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (56%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (42.7%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.03%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Harris County, TX went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 56% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (42.7%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.03%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Harris County, TX for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

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 Harris County, TX awarded 54,910 degrees. The student population of Harris County, TX in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 86,831 male students and 120,983 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Harris County, TX are Hispanic or Latino (20,145 and 38.9%), followed by White (12,362 and 23.8%), Black or African American (10,146 and 19.6%), and Asian (5,781 and 11.1%).

The largest universities in Harris County, TX by number of degrees awarded are University of Houston (10,852 and 19.8%), San Jacinto Community College (227979) (8,335 and 15.2%), and Houston Community College (225423) (6,679 and 12.2%).

The most popular majors in Harris County, TX are General Business Administration & Management (4,394 and 8%), General Studies (3,755 and 6.84%), and Medical Assistant (2,055 and 3.74%).

The median tuition costs in Harris County, TX are $31,724 for private four year colleges, and $6,024 and $19,677 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 Harris County, TX, the percentage of applicants admitted was 53%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 25.6%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 207,814 (41.8% men and 58.2% 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 207,814 students enrolled in Harris County, TX, 41.8% men and 58.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 81,267 records, of which 60.1% were women and 39.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Other Multidisciplinary Studies
1,270 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
1,245 degrees awarded
General Psychology
1,227 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Harris County, TX was Other Multidisciplinary Studies with 1,270 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Houston
10,852 degrees awarded
San Jacinto Community College (227979)
8,335 degrees awarded
Houston Community College (225423)
6,679 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, 23,168 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Harris County, TX, which is 0.73 times less than the 31,742 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 20,145 degrees mean that there were 1.63 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 12,362 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 ($1,615) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($1,876) 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 Harris County, TX was $235,300 in 2022, which is 0.835 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $201,200 to $235,300, a 16.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Harris County, TX is 54.6%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Harris County, TX have an average commute time of 29 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Harris County, TX is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Harris County, TX is $70,789. In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Harris County, TX was Census Tract 4112 with a value of $250,001, followed by Census Tract 4114 and Census Tract 4123, with respective values of $250,001 and $250,001.

In 2023, 20% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Harris County, TX. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.08%.

Housing

Property

$235,300

Median Property Value 2022

±$1,177

$924,703

Median Property Taxes

±$8,993

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 Harris County, TX the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

54.6%

Homeownership

2022

66.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 54.6% of the housing units in Harris County, TX were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 54.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Harris County, 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 4123

In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Harris County, TX was Census Tract 4112 with a value of $250,001, followed by Census Tract 4114 and Census Tract 4123, with respective values of $250,001 and $250,001.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Harris County, 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.

$70,789

Median Household Income

± $482

1.69M

Number of Households

± 12,869

In 2022, the median household income of the 1.69M households in Harris County, TX grew to $70,789 from the previous year's value of $65,788.

The following chart displays the households in Harris County, 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 Harris County, 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 2022

Drove Alone (74.3%)
Carpooled (10%)
Worked At Home (9.73%)

In 2022, 74.3% of workers in Harris County, TX drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10%) and those who worked at home (9.73%).

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

29 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Harris County, TX have a longer commute time (29 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 2.15% of the workforce in Harris County, TX have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 20% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Harris County, TX. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.08%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

15.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Harris County, TX (738k out of 4.68M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 6 - 11.

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

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.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 23% of the children was living in poverty in Harris County, TX. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children 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

78.8% of the population of Harris County, TX has health coverage, with 43.6% on employee plans, 16.4% on Medicaid, 8.03% on Medicare, 9.89% on non-group plans, and 0.902% 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.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 27.7% under 18 years, 23.8% between 18 and 34 years, 37.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 10.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

21.2%

Uninsured

43.6%

Employer Coverage

16.4%

Medicaid

8.03%

Medicare

9.89%

Non-Group

0.902%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Harris County, TX grew by 0.484% from 21.1% to 21.2%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 51.4 in Harris County, TX.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Harris County, TX.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 37.7% in Harris County, TX.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Harris County, TX.