Fort Worth vs Houston

A side-by-side comparison of Fort Worth, Texas and Houston, Texas — population, climate, cost of living, demographics, and more.

PlaceFort WorthFort Worth

Texas, United States

HoustonHouston

Texas, United States

Location
State / regionTexasTexas
Country🇺🇸 United States🇺🇸 United States
Coordinates32.782, -97.34929.786, -95.389
Elevation216 m19 m
Founded1849—
NicknamePanther city—
Size
Population1,014,3762,387,910
Land area350.3 mi²640.6 mi²
Water area8.3 mi²31.2 mi²
Density (per mi²)2,8963,728
Housing units397,6271,070,556
Demographics
Median age33.634.0
White (non-Hispanic)43.6%29.7%
Black or African American19.1%22.5%
Asian5.3%7.1%
Hispanic or Latino35.2%45.5%
Economy & education
Median household income$82,503$64,361
Median home value$330,500$301,200
Bachelor's or higher33.5%38.0%
Poverty rate13.1%21.2%
Unemployment4.5%6.4%
Climate
Avg high temp78°F80°F
Avg low temp60°F64°F
Annual precipitation42.5 in73.2 in
Sunshine % of year69.0%66.0%
Annual solar (kWh/m²)1,7661,697
Air & environment
US AQI5541
Air quality categoryModerateGood
PM2.5 (µg/m³)11.77.4
PM10 (µg/m³)14.49.6
Ozone (µg/m³)91.054.0
NO₂ (µg/m³)1.512.3
Wildlife species observed1010
Wildlife observations627,603721,979
Risk & hazards
Earthquakes (last 10y)1250
Largest earthquake (mag)4.0—
Active weather alerts11
Health
Obesity34.6%38.2%
Diabetes12.6%14.4%
Smoking13.8%13.7%
Schools
Schools total290387
Elementary schools162222
Middle schools5369
High schools5774
Civic & interest
Mayor / leaderMattie Parker—
Official websitehttps://www.fortworthtexas.gov/—
Sister cities11—
Notable people (Wikidata)1616
Books about this place88
Wikipedia views (last 30d)34,2506,401
Overview
Summary

Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly 350 square miles (910 km2) and extending into Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise counties. Fort Worth's population was estimated to be 1,028,117 in 2025, making it the 10th-most populous city in the United States. Fort Worth is the second-largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and the fourth-most populous in Texas. The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex is the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S., with 8.5 million residents.

Wikipedia

Houston is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States. It is the fourth-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.3 million at the 2020 census. The Greater Houston metropolitan area, at 7.8 million residents, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan area in the nation and second-most populous in Texas. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, Houston is the county seat of Harris County. Covering a total area of 640.4 square miles (1,659 km2), it is the ninth largest city in the country and the largest whose municipal government is not consolidated with a county, parish, or borough. Although primarily located within Harris County, portions of the city extend into Fort Bend and Montgomery counties. Houston also functions as the southeastern anchor of the Texas Triangle megaregion.

Wikipedia

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