Houston County, Texas Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Houston County is located in Texas with a total population of 22,042. It is the 108th most populous county out of 254 in Texas. The county encompasses 5 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Houston County is 44.0 years. This is 24% higher than the state median of 35.5 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Houston County is $54,563. This is 28% lower than the state median of $76,292. It is also 31% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 16.3%. This is 18% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 6.6%. This is 28% higher than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $155,100. Housing costs are 40% lower than the state median of $260,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.8x, Houston County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 68.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 10% higher than the state average of 62.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Houston County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 58.6% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 21.6%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (21.6% vs 11.9%). The Hispanic or Latino population (14.1%) is well below the state average of 39.5%. The Asian population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 5.3%.

Education

15.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 53% lower than the state rate of 33.1%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 82.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Houston County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), 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.