Houston

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Houston

Total population

2,387,910

Median home value

$301,200

38%

Bachelor's+

Median income

$64,361

Houston$64k

National$74k

Air quality index

57Moderate

Elevation19 m

Weather94°F · Mostly Sunny

Coordinates29.79°, -95.39°

Demographic figures from US Census Bureau · ACS 5-year estimates. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.

Overview

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.

Demographics & economy

Source: US Census Bureau — American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

Geography

Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.

Climate

10-year averages from ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo).

Current forecast

Forecast for Houston, TX from NOAA NWS API.

Air quality

Current readings from Open-Meteo Air Quality API (Copernicus CAMS European reanalysis).

Health (adults)

Age-adjusted prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES (latest release).

Wildlife & biodiversity

Citizen-science & research observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

Schools

Public K–12 schools within ~10 mi from Urban Institute Education Data Portal (NCES Common Core of Data, 2022).

Earthquake history

Events from the USGS Earthquake Catalog (global) (FDSN Event Web Service).

Notable people from here

Jim Parsons

American actor (born 1973)

Arnett Cobb

American jazz tenor saxophonist (1918-1989)

Tom Byron

American pornographic actor

Edward Mandell House

American diplomat with important role in WW I peace negotiations (1858-1938)

Rodney Crowell

American musician

Scarface

American rapper (born 1970)

Johnny "Guitar" Watson

American musician (1935–1996)

Chris Whitley

American blues/rock singer-songwriter and guitarist

Paul Wall

American rapper, actor, jewelry designer and DJ from Texas (born 1981)

Arturo Álvarez

American soccer player

KevJumba

Taiwanese-American YouTuber

John Cornyn

American politician and attorney (born 1952)

Hubert Laws

American flutist and saxophonist

Gerald Green

American basketball player

Ashley Fink

American actress

Denton Cooley

American heart surgeon (1920–2016)

People born within ~10 km, from Wikidata (CC0). Click any name for their Wikipedia article.

Nearby places in Texas

• Bunker Hill Village
  8.7 mi away
• Aldine
  8.8 mi away
• Cloverleaf
  12.7 mi away
• Brookside Village
  14.1 mi away
• Channelview
  16.5 mi away
• Atascocita
  17.7 mi away
• Arcola
  20.1 mi away
• Barrett
  20.9 mi away
• Crosby
  21.8 mi away
• Cinco Ranch
  22.5 mi away
• Clear Lake Shores
  27.1 mi away
• Cumings
  28.1 mi away

Browse all places in Texas →

Geography & sun

Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.

Public attention

Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.

Books about Houston

Sam Houston

Susan R. Gregson · 2005

Sam Houston's Texas

Sue Flanagan · 1964

The port of Houston, Texas

United States. Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors · 1949

Standard History of Houston, Texas

S. O. Young · 2018

HowExpert Guide to Houston, Texas

HowExpert · 2022

The Port of Houston, Texas

Water Resources Support Center (U.S.) · 1989

Young living

Nanalee Clayton · 1959

Entrepreneurship and Religion

Victoria Hyonchu Kwon · 2014

Search results from Open Library.

Recently spotted species

Carolina Wren

Thryothorus ludovicianus

Seen 2026-06-22

Eastern Carpenter Bee

Xylocopa virginica

Seen 2026-06-22

House Finch

Haemorhous mexicanus

Seen 2026-06-22

Laughing Gull

Leucophaeus atricilla

Seen 2026-06-22

Brown Widow

Latrodectus geometricus

Seen 2026-06-22

Fiery Skipper

Hylephila phyleus

Seen 2026-06-22

Southern Carpenter Bee

Xylocopa micans

Seen 2026-06-22

Neon Skimmer

Libellula croceipennis

Seen 2026-06-22

Common Micropanther

Atomosia puella

Seen 2026-06-22

Research-grade observations from iNaturalist (within ~15 mi).

Nearest stream gauge

Live readings from USGS NWIS · measured 2026-06-23 04:45 UTC.

Gallery

Geotagged photos within ~6 miles of Houston, from Wikimedia Commons contributors.

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Photos via Wikimedia Commons — see each image page for license & attribution.