Harris County, TX

County

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2024 Population

4.84M

US Senator

John Cornyn

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Cruz

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

34.6

0.581% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

16.3%

2.1% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$74,983

2.57% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$276,600

8.47% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

2.34M

1.62% 1-year growth

About

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.

83.8% of the residents in Harris County, TX are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Harris County, TX are University of Houston (11,167 degrees awarded in 2023), San Jacinto Community College (7,726 degrees), and Houston Community College (6,568 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Harris County, TX was $276,600, and the homeownership rate was 54.7%.

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 4.84M people, from which 83.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 26.7% of Harris County, TX residents were born outside of the country (1.29M people).

In 2024, there were 1.31 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.28M people) in Harris County, TX than any other race or ethnicity. There were 978k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 900k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

83.8%

2024 Citizenship

84.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 83.8% of Harris County, TX residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Harris County, TX was 84.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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)
1.28M ± 3.33k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
978k ± 14.9k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
900k ± 4.25k

44%

Hispanic Population

2.13M people

44% of the people in Harris County, TX are hispanic (2.13M people).

The following chart shows the 8 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
2,397,739 ± 36,447 people
India
325,248 ± 13,925 people
El Salvador
221,729 ± 11,517 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Texas was Mexico, the natal country of 2,397,739 Texas residents, followed by India with 325,248 and El Salvador with 221,729.

Foreign-Born Population

26.7%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.29M people

26.3%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.25M people

As of 2024, 26.7% of Harris County, TX residents (1.29M people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Harris County, TX was 26.3%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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-)
50,487 ± 2,510
Vietnam
39,496 ± 1,475
Gulf War (1990s)
25,645 ± 1,962

Harris County, TX has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.28 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Harris County, TX.

Economy

The economy of Harris County, TX employs 2.34M people. In 2024, the largest industries in Harris County, TX were Health Care & Social Assistance (258,888 people), Retail Trade (247,915 people), and Construction (236,070 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($134,074), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($123,534), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($112,784).

Employment

Occupations

2.34M

2024 Value

± 16,655

1.62%

1 Year growth

± 0.981%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Harris County, TX grew at a rate of 1.62%, from 2.31M employees to 2.34M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Harris County, TX, are Management Occupations (243,971 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (242,145 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (223,046 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 Texas.

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

2.34M

2024 Value

± 16,655

1.62%

1 Year growth

± 0.981%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Harris County, TX grew at a rate of 1.62%, from 2.31M employees to 2.34M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Harris County, TX, are Health Care & Social Assistance (258,888 people), Retail Trade (247,915 people), and Construction (236,070 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

$51,700

Median earning men ± $406

$39,503

Median earning women ± $595

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($125,889), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($78,587), and Public Administration ($76,596).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($84,544), Manufacturing ($55,040), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,157).

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.

The visualization shows the 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 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 Harris County, 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.

Education

In 2023, universities in Harris County, TX awarded 53,365 degrees. The student population of Harris County, TX in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 89,141 male students and 121,968 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Harris County, TX are Hispanic or Latino (20,422 and 41.2%), White (11,187 and 22.6%), Black or African American (9,562 and 19.3%), and Asian (5,643 and 11.4%).

The largest universities in Harris County, TX by number of degrees awarded are University of Houston (11,167 and 20.9%), San Jacinto Community College (7,726 and 14.5%), and Houston Community College (6,568 and 12.3%).

The most popular majors in Harris County, TX are General Business Administration & Management (4,138 and 7.75%), General Studies (3,112 and 5.83%), and Medical Assistant (1,960 and 3.67%).

The median tuition costs are $34,200 for private four year colleges, and $6,340 and $19,743 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Harris County, TX, the percentage of applicants admitted was 54%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 24.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 211,109 (42.2% men and 57.8% 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 2023 there were 211,109 students enrolled in Harris County, TX, 42.2% men and 57.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 83,816 records, of which 59.1% were women and 40.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
1,358 degrees awarded
General Psychology
1,305 degrees awarded
Other Multidisciplinary Studies
1,014 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Harris County, TX was Registered Nursing with 1,358 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
11,167 degrees awarded
San Jacinto Community College
7,726 degrees awarded
Houston Community College
6,568 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Houston with 11,167 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 22,957 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Harris County, TX, which is 0.755 times less than the 30,408 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 20,422 degrees mean that there were 1.83 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 11,187 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 ($34,200) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,578) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($1,700) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Harris County, TX was $276,600 in 2024, which is 0.831 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $255,000 to $276,600, a 8.47% increase. The homeownership rate in Harris County, TX is 54.7%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

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.

In 2025, 20.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Harris County, TX. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.355%.

Housing

Property

$276,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$1,878

$961,437

Median Property Taxes

±$8,887

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

54.7%

Homeownership

2024

65.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 54.7% of the housing units in Harris County, TX were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 54.8%.

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

Equity

Household Income

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

$74,983

Median Household Income

± $639

1.76M

Number of Households

± 13,507

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.76M households in Harris County, TX grew to $74,983 from the previous year's value of $73,104.

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 $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

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

0.475

2023 Wage GINI in Texas

0.476

2022 Wage GINI in Texas

In 2023, the income inequality in Texas was 0.475 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.208% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Texas was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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 2024

Drove Alone (70.3%)
Worked At Home (12.9%)
Carpooled (10.7%)

In 2024, 70.3% of workers in Harris County, TX drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.9%) and those who carpooled to work (10.7%).

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 (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.21% 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 2025, 20.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Harris County, TX. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.355%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

16.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Harris County, TX (778k out of 4.79M 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 Two Or More 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 2025, 22.4% of the children was living in poverty in Harris County, TX. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5%.

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.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 730 in Harris County, TX. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 48.8 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

79.1% of the population of Harris County, TX has health coverage, with 42.7% on employee plans, 16% on Medicaid, 8.5% on Medicare, 10.9% on non-group plans, and 0.969% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Harris County, TX see 1,717 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,717 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1343 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 563 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,717 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Harris County, TX

Primary care physicians in Harris County, TX see an average of 1,717 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,717 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 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 27.4% under 18 years, 23.4% between 18 and 34 years, 37.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 11.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

20.9%

Uninsured

42.7%

Employer Coverage

16%

Medicaid

8.5%

Medicare

10.9%

Non-Group

0.969%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Harris County, TX declined by 1.27% from 21.2% to 20.9%.

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 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 54.5 in Harris County, TX.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, 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 35.2% in Harris County, TX.

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