About Houston

Multi-Family Housing
 
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INTRODUCTION


  • Houston is the largest city in Texas

  • Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States

  • Harris County is the nation's third most populous county.

  • The Houston - Sugar Land - Baytown MSA is now the fifth largest in the United States

The City of Houston, the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest city in the United States, is located on the coastal prairies of southeast Texas and is home to a diverse array of industries and cultures. Houston is located in Harris County, the nation's third-most populous county.  The Houston region, officially designated as the Houston - Sugar Land - Baytown Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), comprises Harris County and nine other counties: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto and Waller. 

The Houston MSA has a population of 5.9 million, making it the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the nation; combined with its zone of extraterritorial jurisdiction, an area extending five miles beyond the city’s boundary, the city controls 1,906 square miles.  The most urbanized portions of the Houston area are in Harris County, the southern part of Montgomery County and the eastern section of Fort Bend County.  Houston is home to the eighth largest port in the world and is in close proximity to Mexico, a key trading partner. It has a temperate climate and an affordable cost of living. The cost of living is about 12% lower than the United States average and overall housing costs are 25% lower than the national average.

  • The Houston economy continues to run countercyclical to the U.S. economy despite experiencing the impact of the national and international economic turndown.  The local economy ended March 2011, by creating 51,800 new jobs.
  • Source: Hendricks & Partners Apartment Update, First Quarter 2011
  •  Houston is now the fifth largest metropolitan area in the United States, according to new population estimates from Business First, March 2011, pushing out Philadelphia for fifth place.  Only the New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth metro areas are larger.
  • Source: Houston Business Journal, March 2011

 

  • The Houston - Sugar Land - Baytown MSA posted an annual growth rate of 3.8% during the 12 month period ending December 2010.  All Texas metro areas experienced positive employment growth rates for the same period.
  • Source: Real Estate Center at Texas A & M University, April 2011

 

  • Retail sales in the 10 county Houston Metropolitan Area gained 2.5% from 4th Quarter 2009 to 4th Quarter 2010 according to the Texas State Comptroller's Office.  Nine of the 12 retail categories posted over-the-year gains in the 4th Quarter 2010.  Motor vehicle sales, general merchandise stores and food and beverage sales scored the largest increases.
  • Source: Greater Houston Partnership, June 2011

 
 
     

 
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