Harris County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Harris County, Texas had an estimated 5,009,302 residents on July 1, 2024, up 5.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 4,731,433, across 1,703 square miles. County output reached $592.75 bn in 2024, 111,215 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5,264 7(a) approvals worth $4.03 bn since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Harris County
How many people live in Harris County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20244,838,303
- Households1,757,164
- Average household size2.75
- Median household income$74,983
- Median age34.6
- Median gross rent$1,401 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$276,600
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher34.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over3,131,200
- Population under 181,253,071
- Share under 1825.9 percent
- Population 65 and over567,148
- Share 65 and over11.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,018,084
- Civilian labor force2,512,311
- Unemployment rate6.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.1 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties1st of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included3rd of 3,222
Harris County is the 1st largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.9 percent against 11.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Harris County
Is Harris County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20245,009,302
- Census 2020 base population4,731,433
- Population change since the 2020 census base5.87 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024105,852
- Births, 202465,668
- Deaths, 202429,835
- Natural change, 202435,833
- Net domestic migration, 2024-31,165
- Net international migration, 2024101,126
- Total net migration, 202469,961
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-113,019
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents427th of 3,144
The county has grown 5.87 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Harris County
Where are people moving to Harris County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving94,986
- People arriving, from those returns166,653
- Tax returns filed by households leaving98,353
- Net household movement-3,367
- Adjusted gross income arriving$7.01 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-1.47 bn
- Average income of an arriving household$73,835
- Average income of a leaving household$86,232
- Largest single originFort Bend County (11,139 households)
- Largest single destinationFort Bend County (14,879 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Bend County | 11,139 | 20,377 | $786.4 m |
| Montgomery County | 8,133 | 14,327 | $784.2 m |
| Galveston County | 3,624 | 6,309 | $246.9 m |
| Brazoria County | 3,481 | 6,010 | $197.2 m |
| Travis County | 2,376 | 3,429 | $222.7 m |
| Dallas County | 1,983 | 3,079 | $148.9 m |
| Bexar County | 1,833 | 3,047 | $112.9 m |
| Los Angeles County | 1,719 | 3,052 | $144.7 m |
Households arriving report $12,397 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Fort Bend County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Harris County
What is the Harris County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$592.75 bn
- County GDP, 2023$563.99 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.1 percent
- GDP change over five years52.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Texas areas BEA publishes1st of 254
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes3rd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$122,512
Output grew 5.1 percent in the latest year and 52.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Harris County
Employment by industry in Harris County
- Covered employment, annual average2,445,972
- Establishments reporting124,542
- Average annual pay$88,554
- Average weekly wage$1,703
- Health care and social assistance, employment283,962
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$68,760
- Accommodation and food services, employment227,214
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$28,925
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment217,268
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$131,076
- Retail trade, employment212,140
- Retail trade, average annual pay$43,408
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment185,071
- Manufacturing, employment177,472
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 283,962 | 16,075 | $68,760 |
| Accommodation and food services | 227,214 | 10,333 | $28,925 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 217,268 | 18,722 | $131,076 |
| Retail trade | 212,140 | 13,378 | $43,408 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 185,071 | 6,839 | $66,383 |
| Manufacturing | 177,472 | 5,180 | $104,337 |
| Construction | 168,380 | 8,387 | $91,855 |
| Wholesale trade | 136,317 | 8,138 | $111,996 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 283,962 jobs, 11.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Harris County
How many businesses are in Harris County?
- Establishments, all industries111,215
- Employment at those establishments2,182,164
- Annual payroll$175.82 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Harris County
Building permits in Harris County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202429,936
- Declared construction value permitted$7.77 bn
- Single family units authorized20,087
- Multifamily units authorized9,849
- Multifamily share of units32.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$259,662
- Units authorized per 1,000 households17.0
Single-family homes are 67.1 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Harris County
SBA loans in Harris County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded5,264
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.03 bn
- Average 7(a) approval$765,762
- Median 7(a) approval$315,650
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,212,100
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)67,322
- Jobs per approval12.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active234
- Distinct industries receiving approvals520
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer21.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1,128
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3,711
- Franchise loans1,042
- Franchise share of approvals19.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (205)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (448)
- 504 approvals recorded783
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.01 bn
- Average 504 approval$1,291,513
- Median 504 approval$896,000
- Distinct CDCs active20
- 504 jobs per approval15.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.6
- Most active CDCCapital Certified Development Corporation (247)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$5.04 bn
The average approval of $765,762 sits well above the median of $315,650, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 21.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Harris County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Harris County
Do SBA loans in Harris County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded886
- Paid in full775
- Charged off111
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans12.5 percent
- Status: Paid in full775
- Status: Charged off111
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3,410
- Status: Cancelled710
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed258
| NAICS | Industry | Resolved loans | Charged off | Charge off rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 447110 | Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores | 32 | 0 | 0.0% |
Of the 886 loans that have reached a final outcome, 12.5 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong. Among industries with at least 30 resolved loans, Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores carries the highest charge-off rate at 0.0 percent.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Harris County
SBA lending by place in Harris County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending47
- Houston, approvals3,316
- Cypress, approvals361
- Katy, approvals348
- Spring, approvals285
- Tomball, approvals197
- Humble, approvals192
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Houston | 3,316 | $2,539,755,800 |
| Cypress | 361 | $211,043,300 |
| Katy | 348 | $247,759,100 |
| Spring | 285 | $206,331,900 |
| Tomball | 197 | $174,290,600 |
| Humble | 192 | $140,805,700 |
| Pasadena | 109 | $102,779,100 |
| Baytown | 74 | $84,356,800 |
| 39 other borrower cities | 382 | $323,849,600 |
Houston accounts for 3,316 approvals against 361 in Cypress. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Harris County
How large is Harris County?
- Land area1,703 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties14th of 254
- Width, east to west63.2 mi
- Height, north to south46.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land2,841
- Establishments per square mile65.31
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Harris County
Flood risk in Harris County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Harris County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 480287
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 7
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book40
- Of those, participating in the NFIP40
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 4
- Communities carrying a CRS class18
- Radon levels in Harris County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Harris County (community 480287), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 7, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Harris County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 4, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Harris County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Harris County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20244,838,303
- Households1,757,164
- Average household size2.75
- Median household income$74,983
- Median age34.6
Common questions
Harris County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Harris County, Texas?
The Census Bureau estimates 5,009,302 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 4,838,303, in 1,757,164 households, ranking 1st of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Harris County's population growing?
The population has grown 5.87 percent since the 2020 census base of 4,731,433, to 5,009,302 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 65,668 births against 29,835 deaths, with net migration of 69,961. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Harris County?
$74,983. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $276,600, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $1,401 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Harris County?
111,215 establishments, employing 2,182,164 people with an annual payroll of $175.82 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Harris County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 283,962 jobs, 11.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,445,972 jobs at an average annual pay of $88,554, or $1,703 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Harris County?
5,264 7(a) approvals totaling $4.03 bn since FY2020, across 234 lenders, with a median approval of $315,650, plus 783 504 approvals worth $1.01 bn since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Harris County get paid back?
Of the 886 loans that have reached a final outcome, 775 were paid in full and 111 charged off, a charge-off rate of 12.5 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Harris County?
29,936 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.77 bn. Multifamily was 32.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Harris County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Harris County come from?
The largest single origin is Fort Bend County, with 11,139 households. Arriving households report an average income of $73,835 against $86,232 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Harris County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Harris County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Harris County
Cities and places in Harris.
45 Census places lie wholly or partly in Harris County. All 45 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | city | 2,328,253 | 3,316 | 96.4 percent here, 2.6 percent Fort Bend County |
| Pasadena | city | 149,433 | 109 | Wholly in this county |
| Pearland | city | 127,514 | 2 | 10.2 percent here, 87.1 percent Brazoria County, 2.7 percent Fort Bend County |
| The Woodlands | CDP | 121,002 | 9 | 16.2 percent here, 83.8 percent Montgomery County |
| League City | city | 116,215 | 1 | 4.0 percent here, 96.0 percent Galveston County |
| Atascocita | CDP | 99,354 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Baytown | city | 85,205 | 74 | 90.2 percent here, 9.8 percent Chambers County |
| Missouri City | city | 76,558 | 2 | 4.4 percent here, 95.6 percent Fort Bend County |
| Spring | CDP | 68,580 | 285 | Wholly in this county |
| Channelview | CDP | 43,605 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Friendswood | city | 41,030 | 8 | 20.7 percent here, 79.3 percent Galveston County |
| La Porte | city | 36,730 | 32 | Wholly in this county |
| Mission Bend | CDP | 36,586 | None recorded | 35.7 percent here, 64.3 percent Fort Bend County |
| Deer Park | city | 33,967 | 19 | Wholly in this county |
| Katy | city | 25,184 | 348 | 33.8 percent here, 36.8 percent Waller County, 29.4 percent Fort Bend County |
| Cloverleaf | CDP | 24,063 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cinco Ranch | CDP | 18,611 | None recorded | 11.2 percent here, 88.8 percent Fort Bend County |
| Bellaire | city | 17,206 | 27 | Wholly in this county |
| Aldine | CDP | 17,167 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Humble | city | 16,521 | 192 | Wholly in this county |
| South Houston | city | 16,033 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| West University Place | city | 14,982 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Seabrook | city | 13,768 | 17 | Wholly in this county |
| Tomball | city | 13,655 | 197 | Wholly in this county |
| Webster | city | 12,366 | 62 | Wholly in this county |
| Galena Park | city | 10,487 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Jacinto City | city | 9,432 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Jersey Village | city | 7,817 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Highlands | CDP | 6,335 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Nassau Bay | city | 5,230 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Crosby | CDP | 4,617 | 27 | Wholly in this county |
| Hunters Creek Village | city | 4,390 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Spring Valley Village | city | 4,290 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bunker Hill Village | city | 3,829 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Taylor Lake Village | city | 3,721 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Barrett | CDP | 3,273 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Waller | city | 3,108 | 14 | 40.1 percent here, 59.9 percent Waller County |
| Piney Point Village | city | 3,097 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| El Lago | city | 2,997 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Hedwig Village | city | 2,291 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sheldon | CDP | 2,208 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Southside Place | city | 1,706 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Shoreacres | city | 1,580 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hilshire Village | city | 1,220 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Morgan's Point | city | 233 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 471 of the county's 5,264 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Harris County, the largest being Cypress (361), Kingwood (62), Hockley (18). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.