Greater Houston


Greater Houston, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States, encompassing ten counties along the Gulf Coast in Southeast Texas. As of 2025, it has a population of 7,824,643.
The region of approximately centers on Harris County, the third-most populous county in the U.S., which contains the city of Houston, with a population of more than 2.3 million as of 2010. Greater Houston is part of the Texas Triangle megaregion along with the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Greater Austin, and Greater San Antonio. Greater Houston also serves as a major anchor and economic hub for the Gulf Coast. Its Port of Houston is the largest port in the United States and the 16th-largest in the world.
Greater Houston has historically been among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States; it was the fastest-growing in absolute terms during the 2013–2014 census year, adding 156,371 people. The area grew 25.2%, adding over 950,000 people, between 1990 and 2000 in comparison to a 13.2% increase in the national population over the same period. Between 2000 and 2007, the area added over 910,000 people. The Greater Houston Partnership projected the metropolitan area would add between 4.1 and 8.3 million new residents between 2010 and 2050.
Greater Houston has the seventh-highest metropolitan-area gross domestic product in the United States, valued at $551 billion in 2023. A major trade center anchored by the Port of Houston, the region has the highest trade export value of all metropolitan areas, at over $180 billion in 2024, accounting for 9% of all U.S. exports. As of 2024, Greater Houston is home to the headquarters of 24 Fortune 500 companies, ranking third among all metropolitan statistical areas. The Greater Houston metropolitan area was ranked the fourth-most diverse metropolitan area in the United States in 2012.

Geography

According to the City of Houston, the Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands metropolitan statistical area has a total area of 10,062 square miles, which is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Massachusetts and slightly larger than Maryland. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget combines the Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands metropolis with four micropolitan statistical areas to form the Houston–Pasadena, TX combined statistical area.
The metropolitan area is located in the Gulf Coastal Plains biome, and its vegetation is classified as temperate grassland. Much of the urbanized area was built on forested land, marshes, swamp, or prairie, remnants of which can still be seen in surrounding areas. Of particular note is the Katy Prairie to the west, the Big Thicket to the northeast, and the Galveston Bay ecosystem to the south. Additionally, the metropolitan region is crossed by a number of creeks and bayous, which provide essential drainage during rainfall events; some of the most notable waterways include Buffalo Bayou, White Oak Bayou, Brays Bayou, Spring Creek, and the San Jacinto River. The upper drainage basin of Buffalo Bayou is impounded by two large flood control reservoirs, Barker Reservoir and Addicks Reservoir, which provide a combined of storage during large rainfall events and cover a total land area of. Greater Houston's flat topography, susceptibility to high-intensity rainfall events, high level of impervious surface, and inadequately-sized natural drainage channels make it particularly susceptible to catastrophic flooding events.

Geology

Underpinning Greater Houston's land surface are unconsolidated clays, clay shales, and poorly cemented sands up to several miles deep. The region's geology developed from stream deposits formed from the erosion of the Rocky Mountains. These sediments consist of a series of sands and clays deposited on decaying organic matter that, over time, transformed into oil and natural gas. Beneath these tiers is a water-deposited layer of halite, a rock salt. The porous layers were compressed over time and forced upward. As it pushed upward, the salt dragged surrounding sediments into dome shapes, often trapping oil and gas that seeped from the surrounding porous sands. This thick, rich soil also provides a good environment for rice farming in suburban outskirts into which the city of Houston continues to grow near Katy. Evidence of past rice farming is even still evident in developed areas as an abundance of rich, dark, loamy topsoil exists.
The Greater Houston region is generally earthquake-free. While the city of Houston contains over 150 to 300 active surface faults with an aggregate length of up to, the clay below the surface precludes the buildup of friction that produces ground-shaking in earthquakes. These faults generally move at a smooth rate in what is termed "fault creep".

Climate

Greater Houston has a humid subtropical climate typical of the Southern United States. It is rainy most of the year. Prevailing winds come from the south and southeast during most of the year, which bring heat and moisture from the nearby Gulf of Mexico and Galveston Bay area.

List of hurricanes

A number of tropical storms and hurricanes have hit the metropolitan area, including:
  • 1900 Galveston Hurricane, which devastated Galveston and was the deadliest natural disaster in United States history, killing between 8,000 and 12,000.
  • Hurricane Carla, which was the most recent Category 4 hurricane to strike Texas until Harvey in 2017.
  • Hurricane Alicia, which struck the area as a Category 3, and was at the time, the costliest Atlantic hurricane.
  • Tropical Storm Allison, until Harvey, which brought the worst flooding in Houston history and was the first tropical storm to be retired.
  • Hurricane Rita, which triggered one of the largest evacuations in United States history in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
  • Hurricane Ike, which brought devastating storm surge to the coast and wind damage into the city.
  • Hurricane Harvey, which brought devastating flooding that resulted in excess of $100 billion in damages to Southeast Texas.
  • Tropical Storm Imelda caused widespread flooding around Houston and surrounding areas.
  • Hurricane Nicholas, did moderate damage, and brought wind and rain to the area.
  • Hurricane Beryl, brought strong winds and significant rainfall, causing devastating damage in Houston.

    Metropolitan communities

Counties

As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, the metropolitan area of Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands encompasses ten counties in Southeast Texas. They are listed below:
Eight principal communities are designated within the Greater Houston metropolitan area. The Woodlands is a census-designated place; the rest are cities. They are listed below:
Other communities:
County2020 census2010 censusChangeAreaDensity
Austin County--
Brazoria County--
Chambers County--
Fort Bend County--
Galveston County--
Harris County--
Liberty County--
Montgomery County--
San Jacinto County--
Waller County--
Total--

Numerically, Greater Houston is the second fastest growing metropolitan area in the U.S. There were a total of 7,122,240 residents within the Greater Houston metropolitan area as of 2020, according to the United States Census Bureau. In 2010, Greater Houston had 5,920,416 residents and in 2000, it had a population of 4,177,646. Another 2010 estimate determined the population increased to 5,920,487. Of the population an estimated 575,000 were undocumented immigrants according to 2014 estimates.
In 2020, Greater Houston's racial makeup was 41% White, 20% Black and African American, 8% Asian and 3% from two or more races; additionally, 37% of the metropolitan population were Hispanic and Latino Americans of any race. Among its metropolitan population, roughly 23.4% were foreign-born. The largest foreign-born population came from Latin America, followed by Asia, Africa, Europe and other parts of North America. The metropolitan statistical area was classified as one of the largest regions where the three largest minority groups were highly represented. In 2018, its racial makeup had an estimated 35.5% Anglo American, 20% Black and African American, 7.6% Asian American and 2.1% other races; approximately 37.6% were Hispanic or Latino American of any race. Nearly one in four Greater Houstonians were foreign-born in 2018 and a quarter of all refugees settled in Texas lived in the region.
According to the 2019 American Community Survey, the median household income was $69,193 and the per capita income was $35,190. Roughly 13% of the metropolis lived at or below the poverty line. As of 2011, Greater Houston has four of Texas's 10 wealthiest communities, which include the wealthiest community, Hunters Creek Village, the fourth-wealthiest community, Bunker Hill Village, the fifth-wealthiest community, West University Place, and the sixth-wealthiest community, Piney Point Village.
Greater Houston's religious community is predominantly Christian and the second-largest metropolitan area that identifies with the religion in Texas after Dallas–Fort Worth. In 2012, the city of Houston proper ranked the ninth most religious city in the U.S.
Within the Greater Houston metropolitan area, the Catholic Church is the largest single Christian denomination as of a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center. Catholics in Houston are primarily served by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston. Following, the body of Evangelical Protestantism was the second largest according to this study; Baptists dominated the Evangelical Protestant demographic. Mainline Protestantism, led by Methodists, was the third largest Christian group.
In a separate study by the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020, the Catholic Church numbered 1,299,901 for the metropolitan area; by 2020, the second-largest single Christian denomination numbered 800,688; following, non-denominational Protestant churches represented the third-largest Christian cohort at 666,548.
Altogether, however, Baptists of the Southern Baptist Convention, the American Baptist Association, American Baptist Churches USA, Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, National Baptist Convention USA and National Baptist Convention of America, and the National Missionary Baptist Convention numbered 926,554. Non-denominational Protestants, the Disciples of Christ, Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, and the Churches of Christ numbered 723,603 altogether according to the 2020 study.
Within the Eastern Christian tradition, there were 3,617 Coptic Orthodox Christians, 1,746 Eritrean Orthodox and 850 Ethiopian Orthodox, 6,209 Greek Orthodox, 2,405 Malankara Orthodox Syrians, 641 American Orthodox, and 1,058 Serbian Orthodox in the metropolis.
According to the Pew Research Center's 2014 study, non-Christian religions collectively made up 7% of the religious metropolitan population. The largest non-Christian religion was Judaism. According to the study, 20% of Greater Houston was irreligious and 2% were atheist. The Association of Religion Data Archives 2020 study determined there were 7,061 Conservative Jews and 3,050 Orthodox Jews; there were 11,481 Reform Jews throughout the area. There were an estimated 123,256 Muslims, 51,567 Hindus and Yoga practitioners, and 20,281 Buddhists.