Population 16,834 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Downtown Houston
Household size in Downtown Houston
| Period | Downtown Houston | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.10 | 2.96 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.84 | 3.00 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.49 | 2.98 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.26 | 2.91 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.16 | −0.05 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Downtown Houston are small: just 1.26 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has climbed from 1.10 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Downtown Houston has the smallest households of any Houston neighborhood.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Downtown Houston
| Period | Downtown Houston | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.3 | 34.0 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.1 | 34.8 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.1 | 35.6 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.1 | 36.4 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +2.3 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 36.1, Downtown Houston is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 34.3, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the southwest, the oldest in the northeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Downtown Houston
| Period | Downtown Houston | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 1.1% | 13.3% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.6% | 13.5% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.0 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Downtown Houston: 1.6% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is down 6.0 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. No other Houston neighborhood has a lower share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Downtown Houston
Renters in Downtown Houston
| Period | Downtown Houston | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.4% | 36.6% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 83.7% | 38.6% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 86.3% | 39.5% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 93.7% | 38.8% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +7.3 pts | +2.2 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Downtown Houston: 93.7% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 46.3% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 7.3 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only one other Houston neighborhood has a higher share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Downtown Houston
| Period | Downtown Houston | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.0% | 11.3% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.5% | 10.1% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 22.2% | 9.3% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.4% | 8.6% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 21.4% of the housing in Downtown Houston, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Few Houston neighborhoods have a higher vacancy rate: only two of 63.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Downtown Houston
| Period | Downtown Houston | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1985 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1990 | 1987 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1988 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1993 | 1993 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +25 | +8 | +8 | +6 |
Downtown Houston has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1993, versus 1980 nationally. The picture is much the same across the Houston area. The median year built has moved up from 1968 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Downtown Houston
| Period | Downtown Houston | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $882 | $1,018 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,369 | $1,103 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,861 | $1,300 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,709 | $1,649 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$827 | +$631 | +$639 | +$606 |
Rent in Downtown Houston runs $1,709 a month at the median, utilities included, above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $827 a month since 2006–10, up 94%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 25.4% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Downtown Houston
Bachelor's degrees in Downtown Houston
| Period | Downtown Houston | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.5% | 29.2% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.1% | 30.4% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.2% | 32.5% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 36.6% | 35.9% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +20.1 pts | +6.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a third of adults 25 and older in Downtown Houston (36.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 20.1 points, in line with the national trend.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Downtown Houston
| Period | Downtown Houston | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 70.8% | 80.9% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 70.5% | 81.9% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.2% | 83.6% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.4% | 84.8% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +13.6 pts | +3.9 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in six adults in Downtown Houston never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The picture is much the same across the Houston area. The share with a diploma has risen 13.6 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Downtown Houston
| Period | Downtown Houston | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 6.9% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.6% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.5% | 5.6% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 6.2% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Downtown Houston: 7.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 1.9 points, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Downtown Houston compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Houston | 1.26 | 36.1 | 1.6% | 93.7% | 21.4% | 1993 | $1,709 | 36.6% | 84.4% | 7.2% |
| Fourth Ward | 1.79 | 31.4 | 8.7% | 80.1% | 11.3% | 2003 | $1,856 | 69.9% | 99.3% | 7.8% |
| Midtown | 1.57 | 33.3 | 3.7% | 79.9% | 9.6% | 2004 | $1,912 | 73.4% | 98.9% | 3.1% |
| Greater Fifth Ward | 2.63 | 35.7 | 18.9% | 60.5% | 14.3% | 1963 | $1,027 | 12.7% | 73.5% | 13.8% |
| Washington Avenue-Memorial Park | 1.73 | 32.5 | 2.8% | 76.0% | 10.2% | 2005 | $1,943 | 75.4% | 98.2% | 1.0% |
| Montrose | 1.75 | 36.3 | 3.1% | 62.7% | 13.5% | 1993 | $1,741 | 78.3% | 98.4% | 5.0% |
| Rice Military | 1.79 | 34.9 | 4.5% | 55.9% | 7.8% | 2009 | $2,176 | 79.9% | 98.8% | 1.8% |
| East End | 2.53 | 37.7 | 13.8% | 52.1% | 13.1% | 1963 | $1,166 | 20.0% | 68.9% | 8.5% |
| Kashmere Gardens | 2.61 | 39.2 | 18.5% | 49.1% | 15.2% | 1960 | $1,030 | 9.0% | 75.8% | 11.4% |
| Greater Heights | 2.13 | 36.4 | 5.0% | 39.1% | 10.1% | 1989 | $1,927 | 73.3% | 93.9% | 2.7% |
| Denver Harbor-Port Houston | 3.00 | 40.8 | 14.7% | 31.3% | 12.2% | 1953 | $1,032 | 7.5% | 59.5% | 19.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: West of Twin Peaks, San Francisco, CA · Citizens Southwest, Jackson, MS · Whitmer-Trilby, Toledo, OH · Pinnacle Peak, Scottsdale, AZ · Joaquin, Provo, UT · Delmar Parkway, Aurora, CO · Desert Hills, Cave Creek, AZ · Western Branch South, Chesapeake, VA · Heron Walk, Madison, TN · Koolauloa, Laie, HI
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Downtown Houston. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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