Houston, Texas Population 2023

2,264,876

Houston is a city located in Fort Bend County, Harris County, and Montgomery County Texas. Houston has a 2023 population of 2,264,876. It is also the county seat of Harris County.Houston is currently declining at a rate of -0.51% annually and its population has decreased by -1.53% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 2,300,027 in 2020.

The average household income in Houston is $90,511 with a poverty rate of 19.49%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Houston is 33.7 years, 33.5 years for males, and 33.9 years for females.

Houston is the 4th largest city in the United States and the largest in Texas. The city also has a global economy and only New York City has more Fortune 500 headquarters.

Houston is the economic center of Houston-The Woodlands-Sugarland, which is the 5th largest metropolitan area in the United States with over 6 million people. 2012 was the first time Philadelphia was knocked out of the top 5, thanks to Houston's rapid growth.

Houston Diversity

Houston is a very multicultural city, partially due to its academic institutions, industry, and status as a port city. Houston residents speak more than 90 languages,, and it also has one of the youngest populations in the country due to the influx of immigrants in the state. It's estimated that there are 400,000 illegal aliensliving in the Houston area alone.

The non-Hispanic white population in Houston had halved since 1970 when it accounted for 62% of the population. It also seems the racial and ethnic diversity increases the further away from the center of the city you move to.

Houston's Hispanic population is increasing rapidly as more Latin American immigrants move to the area to work. Houston now has the 3rd largest Hispanic population in the United States.

There is also a significant African American population in Houston, which has been the case for most of its history. From 1870 to 1890, black people accounted for nearly 40% of the city's population, although this ranged from 21 to 33% from 1910 to 1970.

There is also a relatively large population of refugees living in the city since the 1970s. Nearly 1,600 refugees arrive at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport every year from all over the world.

Houston Population Growth

Houston's booming population growth has made it one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. From 2011 to 2012, Houston gained more than 34,000 people, which was the second largest numeric increase for a city in the country.

In 2013, the Houston Chronicle reported its growth shows no signs of slowing. People are still moving to the area for its plentiful jobs, education, and housing, and many job sectors are growing.

By 2020, Houston's population is expected to grow from today's 2.162 million to 2.52 million. By 2030, the city will have 2.8 million residents, which means it should overtake Brooklyn.

In 1836, two real estate entrepreneurs from New York purchased a large area of land along Buffalo Bayou to found a city. The city name chosen was Sam Houston, after the general at the Battle of San Jacinto, who was elected as the president of Texas that year.

Houston was incorporated in 1837 and became the temporary capital of the Republic of Texas. By 1860, it was a major hub for exporting cotton, and its system of bayous was extended after the Civil War to allow the city to accept more commerce.

In 1901, oil was discovered nearby, which started the development of the still massive Texas petroleum industry. By 1910, Houston was home to 78,000 people, double its population just ten years before. By the 1950s, its economy shifted toward energy has large companies began relocating to Houston.

Since the recession of the 1990s, Houston has worked to diversify its economy and reduce dependence on petroleum.

Houston Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Houston was:

  • White: 46.82%
  • Black or African American: 22.59%
  • Other race: 12.46%
  • Two or more races: 10.78%
  • Asian: 6.79%
  • Native American: 0.51%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.05%
State
Texas
Land Area (mi²)
640.2 sq mi
Density (mi²)
3,537.80/sq mi
Growth Rate
-0.51% (-11,657)
Growth Since 2020
-1.53% (-35,151)
The current population of Houston, Texas is 2,264,876 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 2,300,027.

Houston, Texas Population 2023

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White1,073,79446.82%
Black or African American517,94422.59%
Other race285,68312.46%
Two or more races247,21310.78%
Asian155,7546.79%
Native American11,7040.51%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander1,1960.05%
showing: 7 rows

White

Black or African American

Other race

Two or more races

Asian

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Houston Population by Race

Houston Population Pyramid 2023

Houston Median Age

33.7

Total

33.5

Male

33.9

Female

Houston Adults

There are 1,729,151 adults, (255,522 of whom are seniors) in Houston.

Houston Age Dependency

55.6

Age Dependency Ratio

17.3

Old Age Dependency Ratio

38.3

Child Dependency Ratio

Houston Sex Ratio

Female1,151,37150.21%
Male1,141,91749.79%

Houston Population by Age

Houston Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All878,9062.5742.557.5
Non Family352,3001.2430.169.9
Married329,3783.4461.238.8
Female140,0453.5331.668.4
Male57,1833.437.262.8
showing: 5 rows

3.36

Average Family Size

2.57

Average Household Size

42.5%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Houston Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Houston Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Houston Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 86.8%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 55.01%.

Houston Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$39,283

Average Earnings

$42,924

Average Male

$34,347

Average Female

Houston Earnings by Educational Attainment

Houston Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Houston Language

51.9% of Houston residents speak only English, while 48.1% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 38.18% of the population.

Houston Language

Houston Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Hispanic1,013,303239,39023.62%
Black505,846125,07224.73%
Other284,42972,19425.38%
Multiple243,87750,62120.76%
White541,85747,4278.75%
Asian152,70820,80513.62%
Native11,4252,50021.88%
Islander1,19631826.59%
showing: 8 rows

19.49%

Overall Poverty Rate

17.52%

Male Poverty Rate

21.44%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Houston

The race most likely to be in poverty in Houston is Islander, with 26.59% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Houston is White, with 8.75% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.89%. Among those working part-time, it was 21.23%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 30.58%.

Houston Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade26.41%
High School18.86%
Some College14.31%
Bachelors or Greater6.46%
showing: 4 rows

Houston Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed40.21%
Male Unemployed27.91%
Female Employed10.08%
Male Employed7.83%
showing: 4 rows

Houston Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Houston Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Houston Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

41.2%

Overall Marriage Rate

43.0%

Male Marriage Rate

39.4%

Female Marriage Rate

Houston Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Houston Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

Houston Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Houston Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

65,632

Number of Veterans

58,833

Male Veterans

6,799

Female Veterans

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Houston Veterans by War

count

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Houston Veterans by Age

count

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Houston Veterans by Race

Houston Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

10.45%

Veteran Poverty Rate

27.84%

Veteran Disability Rate

Houston Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

66.9%

Labor Force Participation

62.4%

Employment Rate

6.5%

Unemployment Rate

Houston Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Houston Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Houston Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

52.91%

Born in Houston

72.2%

Native Born

29.32%

Foreign Born

19.66%

Non Citizen

9.66%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

72.2% of Houston residents were born in the United States, with 52.91% having been born in Texas. 19.66% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Houston Place of Birth

Note: data after 2021 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
18502,400-2,193,7783.88%
18604,8452,4457.28%
18709,3824,5376.83%
188016,5137,1315.82%
189027,55711,0445.25%
190044,63317,0764.94%
191078,80034,1675.85%
1920138,27659,4765.78%
1930292,352154,0767.77%
1940384,51492,1622.78%
1950596,163211,6494.48%
1960938,219342,0564.64%
19701,233,535295,3162.77%
19801,595,138361,6032.6%
19901,630,55335,4150.22%
20001,953,631323,0781.82%
20102,099,451
20112,119,96420,5130.98%
20122,140,47720,5130.97%
20132,160,99020,5130.96%
20142,181,50320,5130.95%
20152,202,01620,5130.94%
20162,222,52920,5130.93%
20172,243,04220,5130.92%
20182,263,55520,5130.91%
20192,284,06820,5130.91%
20202,300,02715,9590.7%
20212,288,250-11,777-0.51%
20222,276,533-11,717-0.51%
20232,264,876-11,657-0.51%
20242,253,279-11,597-0.51%
20252,241,741-11,538-0.51%
20262,230,262-11,479-0.51%
20272,218,842-11,420-0.51%
20282,207,481-11,361-0.51%
20292,196,178-11,303-0.51%
showing: 36 rows

Houston Population by Year