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Harris County, Texas Demographics 2026

Harris County, Texas has a population of 4,838,303, the 1st most populous county in Texas. The median household income is $74,983 and the median home value is $276,600. The poverty rate is 16.3%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Harris County Quick Facts

Population 4,838,303
Median Household Income $74,983
Median Home Value $276,600
Poverty Rate 16.3%
Unemployment Rate 6.7%
Median Age 34.6 years
Homeownership Rate 54.7%
Affordability Ratio 3.7x
Bachelor's Degree+ 34.2%
High School Graduation 82.5%
Cities/Places 45
Population 4,838,303 1st of 254
Median Income $74,983 4% lower than state
Poverty Rate 16.3%
Unemployment 6.7%

How Harris County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric2019–20232020–2024Change
Population4,758,5794,838,303+1.7%
Median household income$73,104$74,983+2.6%
Median home value$255,000$276,600+8.5%

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 15.3%
$25K-$50K 18.2%
$50K-$100K 28.9%
$100K+ 37.5%
Detailed income brackets
Under $10K
5.5%
$10K-$15K
3.3%
$15K-$20K
2.9%
$20K-$25K
3.6%
$25K-$30K
3.4%
$30K-$35K
3.9%
$35K-$40K
3.8%
$40K-$45K
3.8%
$45K-$50K
3.5%
$50K-$60K
6.9%
$60K-$75K
9.6%
$75K-$100K
12.5%
$100K-$125K
9.3%
$125K-$150K
6.8%
$150K-$200K
8.6%
$200K+
12.8%

Employment

6.7% Unemployment Rate State: 5.3%|National: 5.2%
67.4% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 54.7%
Renter 45.3%
Affordability Index Affordable
3.7x home value to income ratio
Median gross rent $1,401/mo 22.4% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Diversity Index

70out of 100
Very High Diversity

This community is exceptionally diverse, with no single racial or ethnic group dominating the population.

State average: 67 | National average: 61

Education

Cities & Places in Harris County

CityPopulationMedian IncomePovertyHome Value
Houston2,328,253$64,81319.9%$277,800
Pasadena149,433$64,92718.9%$209,600
Pearland127,514$118,8424.1%$356,300
The Woodlands121,002$140,7015.5%$511,700
League City116,215$121,0995.4%$360,000
Atascocita99,354$118,2267.4%$307,400
Baytown85,205$59,91018.2%$197,300
Missouri City76,558$94,3907.1%$311,400
Spring68,580$88,99710.4%$231,500
Channelview43,605$64,42220.3%$195,900
Friendswood41,030$126,5083.6%$420,100
La Porte36,730$80,75312.2%$234,600
Mission Bend36,586$67,28210.8%$233,800
Deer Park33,967$100,3829.2%$264,600
Katy25,184$114,9128.1%$401,700
Cloverleaf24,063$54,99424.0%$169,600
Cinco Ranch18,611$161,9727.3%$475,600
Stafford17,401$87,4328.0%$257,700
Bellaire17,206$244,0152.4%$1,037,500
Aldine17,167$44,45530.3%$103,200
Humble16,521$57,01118.8%$216,400
South Houston16,033$53,49726.1%$189,300
West University Place14,982$250,000+1.7%$1,472,000
Seabrook13,768$102,7266.5%$350,000
Tomball13,655$78,5629.2%$364,300
Webster12,366$61,26413.7%$281,400
Galena Park10,487$51,22020.9%$117,700
Jacinto City9,432$47,31827.2%$156,200
Jersey Village7,817$79,7506.1%$346,900
Highlands6,335$52,1679.8%$214,400
Nassau Bay5,230$71,69611.5%$374,600
Crosby4,617$59,24136.8%$226,700
Hunters Creek Village4,390$250,000+2.8%$2,000,000+
Spring Valley Village4,290$245,2081.0%$1,156,700
Bunker Hill Village3,829$250,000+4.5%$2,000,000+
Taylor Lake Village3,721$165,8750.0%$388,900
Barrett3,273$48,12534.0%$190,000
Piney Point Village3,097$250,000+1.0%$2,000,000+
El Lago2,997$95,6252.4%$320,900
Hedwig Village2,291$223,7504.3%$1,702,700
Sheldon2,208$68,7500.8%N/A
Southside Place1,706$162,8855.0%$1,699,100
Shoreacres1,580$130,8153.2%$287,100
Hilshire Village1,220$250,000+0.9%$1,086,700
Morgan's Point233$76,25020.6%$425,000

Population Overview

Harris County is located in Texas with a total population of 4,838,303. It is the 1st most populous county out of 254 in Texas. The county encompasses 45 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Harris County is 34.6 years. This is 3% lower than the state median of 35.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Harris County is $74,983. This is 4% lower than the state median of $78,476. It is also 7% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 16.3%. This is 18% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 6.7%. This is 28% higher than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $276,600. Housing costs are 3% lower than the state median of $283,800. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.7x. 54.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 13% lower than the state average of 62.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

Harris County is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 26.6%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (18.6% vs 11.9%).

Education

34.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Harris County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 1% higher than the state rate of 33.8%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 82.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Harris County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Texas and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Harris County, Texas?

Harris County has a population of 4,838,303, making it the 1st most populous county in Texas.

What is the median income in Harris County?

The median household income in Harris County is $74,983 with a poverty rate of 16.3%.

How many cities are in Harris County, Texas?

Harris County contains 45 Census-designated places.