What is the population of Houston?
Houston's metropolitan area has about 7,340,000 people, making it the 56th largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.
Metro population
7,340,000
0.088% of world population
Archive estimateAnnual growth
+1.45%
About 292 people a day
Archive estimateDensity
730/km²
10,062 km² metro area
City proper
2,314,157
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNamesAbout Houston
With a metropolitan population of 7,340,000, Houston ranks among the largest urban areas in North America. The city proper holds 2,314,157 residents at a density of 730 people per km², growing at 1.5% annually. Founded in 1836, Houston sits at just 12 meters elevation on flat terrain.
The city is served by two major airports: William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). John Whitmire serves as mayor.
This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Key Facts
- Country
- United States
- Continent
- North America
- World rank
- #56 of 140
- Share of country
- 2.1%
- Founded
- 1836
- Leadership
- John Whitmire
- Elevation
- 12 m
- Coordinates
- 29.763, -95.363
Airports
Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.
- William P. Hobby AirportHOU
16 km from the city centre
- George Bush Intercontinental AirportIAH
25 km from the city centre
Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.
Compared with the World's Largest Cities
Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.
| Name | Metro population |
|---|---|
| Tokyo | 37.4M |
| Delhi | 32.9M |
| Shanghai | 29.2M |
| São Paulo | 22.6M |
| Dhaka | 22.5M |
| Mexico City | 22.3M |
| Cairo | 22.2M |
| Mumbai | 21.7M |
| Beijing | 21.5M |
| Osaka | 19M |
| New York | 18.9M |
| Karachi | 17.1M |
| Kinshasa | 17.1M |
| Chongqing | 16.9M |
| Lagos | 15.9M |
| Houston | 7.34M |
Population Trend in United States
No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 154,202,680 |
| 1960 | 180,274,555 |
| 1970 | 207,796,339 |
| 1980 | 229,858,655 |
| 1990 | 253,373,387 |
| 2000 | 281,484,131 |
| 2010 | 311,062,790 |
| 2020 | 339,436,159 |
| 2030 | 355,649,881 |
| 2040 | 370,209,316 |
| 2050 | 380,846,910 |
| 2060 | 388,918,394 |
| 2070 | 398,218,088 |
| 2080 | 407,079,816 |
| 2090 | 414,457,640 |
| 2100 | 421,278,889 |
Other Major Cities in United States
14 more cities in our dataset.
- New York18.9M · +0.05%
- Los Angeles12.5M · +0.10%
- Chicago8.9M · −0.15%
- Dallas7.64M · +1.35%
- Washington D.C.6.39M · +0.75%
- Miami6.17M · +1.02%
- Atlanta6.14M · +1.25%
- Philadelphia5.72M · +0.08%
- Phoenix5.07M · +1.75%
Nearest Major Cities
Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.
- Dallas
363 km · United States
- Monterrey
666 km · Mexico
- Atlanta
1,128 km · United States
- Mexico City
1,210 km · Mexico
- Guadalajara
1,290 km · Mexico
- Denver
1,413 km · United States
Houston Population FAQ
What is the difference between Houston's city and metro population?
About 2,314,157 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 7,340,000. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.
Is Houston growing or shrinking?
Houston is growing at +1.45% a year.
What share of United States's population lives in Houston?
Houston's metro area holds about 2.1% of United States's total population.
How densely populated is Houston?
Houston has roughly 730 people per km² across a metro area of about 10,062 km².
Which airports serve Houston?
The nearest major airports are William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).
Which country is Houston in?
Houston is in United States, in North America.
Explore More Cities
- #1 TokyoJapan · 37.4M · −0.14%
- #2 DelhiIndia · 32.9M · +2.78%
- #3 ShanghaiChina · 29.2M · +0.86%
- #4 São PauloBrazil · 22.6M · +0.75%
- #5 DhakaBangladesh · 22.5M · +2.89%
- #6 Mexico CityMexico · 22.3M · +0.80%