Health Care Access

Too few Houston-area residents are able to access affordable, high-quality health care consistently, contributing to poor health outcomes for a significant portion of our neighbors

Uninsured rates in the three-county Houston region have declined since 2010 but have stagnated in recent years. Additionally, Texas has had the highest rate of uninsured residents among all states since 2010, and Harris County’s uninsured rate is higher than Texas’. While primary care physician availability hasn’t increased meaningfully there has been a significant decline in the rate of preventable hospitalizations.

The data

Uninsured rates have decreased since 2010 but mostly remain unchanged since 2016

When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed in 2010, its goal was to expand health insurance coverage by making it more affordable to more people. Many aspects of the program were implemented in 2014, including the establishment of health insurance marketplaces and the optional expansion of Medicaid eligibility.

Across the country, Texas, and in each of Houston’s three counties there were immediate gains in health insurance coverage, as the percentage of people without health insurance fell between 3–4 percentage points from 2013 to 2014—the largest year-over-year decrease in uninsurance rates seen in the last twelve years.  The uninsured rate across the U.S. was halved to 8% in 2023 from 16% in 2010.

Texas has had the highest percentage of residents without health insurance among all states in the U.S. each year since at least 2010. In 2023, 16% of Texans didn’t have health insurance, double the U.S rate for that year. Not only is the uninsured rate in Texas eight points above the national rate, it is also five points above Georgia, the state with the second highest uninsured rate in the U.S.

Texas is one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid to cover additional low-income residents. Currently, legal residents of Texas can qualify for Medicaid if they are pregnant, responsible for a minor, have some kind of disability or a household member with a disability, or are older than 65 with low incomes. In Texas, if you or your household does not meet one of these conditions you are not eligible for Medicaid no matter how low your income is.

For those who do meet one of the previously mentioned criteria to be considered for Medicaid, the income threshold to be eligible changes depending on your, and your household’s circumstance. As an example, for a three-person household with one parent and two children, monthly household income must not exceed $230 for the parent to be eligible for Medicaid coverage. It is estimated that over 1.1 million more Texas residents would be covered if Medicaid was expanded. In 2025, an estimated 570,000 adult Texans were in what is known as “the coverage gap.” The coverage gap is experienced by people with incomes below the poverty level who are not eligible for financial assistance in the ACA marketplace.

The percentage of residents without health insurance in Houston’s three-county region has declined since 2010, however, it remains well above the national average. Residents in Fort Bend County have historically had the lowest uninsured rates in the region, though figures have ticked up after 2016 and have fluctuated since then. At its lowest in 2014, Fort Bend County’s uninsured rate was the same as the nation overall. As of 2023, Fort Bend County’s uninsured rate (12%) is 4 points higher than the U.S. overall (8%). Montgomery County’s uninsured rate was 16% in 2023, the same as Texas. Harris County has consistently had the highest rate of uninsured residents in the three-county region and in Texas overall. As of 2023, 20% of residents in Harris County do not have health insurance­—two and a half times the rate of uninsured residents across the country.

The majority of the area’s residents are enrolled in private health insurance (61%), mostly through employer-based health insurance. An additional 28% have public health coverage through programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Between 2010 and 2023, the Houston region made substantial progress in reducing the number of uninsured residents, with the rate decreasing by 7 percentage points. This improvement matched the gains seen both nationwide and across Texas during the same period. However, the types of insurance coverage grew at different rates. Nationally, public health insurance access increased by 7 percentage points between 2010 and 2023, compared to just 4 points in the Houston region. Meanwhile, private health insurance rates across the U.S. increased by only 1 percentage point. As of 2023, 37% of the U.S. population had public health insurance compared to 29% across Texas and in Harris County, 26% in Montgomery County, and 21% in Fort Bend County.

Uninsured Rate for Nonelderly Residents

Another important measure of health care coverage is the uninsured rate for the nonelderly population — defined as residents younger than 65 years old who are not eligible for Medicare. As of 2023, over 1.17 million individuals under 65 in the Houston region were uninsured, with Harris County alone being home to nearly 1 million.

Overall, the trends over time of uninsurance rates for people younger than 65 almost identically mirror that for the entire population. The uninsured rate for this population dropped in each county during the last decade — peaking in 2010 and reaching the lowest levels in 2015 and 2016. However, despite this progress, non-elderly uninsured rates in the region remain consistently higher than the U.S. average. The non-elderly population is, on average, 2 percentage points more likely to be uninsured than the population overall, likely due to people 65 and older generally being eligible for health insurance through Medicare. Texas’ non-elderly (under 65) uninsured rate is nearly two times the nation’s rate while Harris County’s is more than double.

To learn about uninsured rates specifically for children, visit our Maternal and Child Health page.

Uninsured Rate for Nonelderly Adult Residents by Race/Ethnicity

Most people who remain uninsured are non-elderly adults aged 19-64. In 2023, the uninsured rate among non-elderly adults was 24% across the three-county area.

Uninsured rates vary among racial/ethnic groups within Greater Houston’s diverse population. The uninsured rate among Hispanics aged 19 to 64 in the three-county area (39%) is nearly four times that of whites (11%). Black adults also experience elevated uninsured rates at 20%. When compared to state averages, three of the four largest racial/ethnic groups in the Houston three-county region have higher uninsured rates than Texas overall. White adults (aged 19 to 64) are the only group in the three-county region with lower uninsured rates than the state average, though this advantage disappears in Montgomery County where 14% of white adults lack insurance compared to 13% statewide. Across all three counties, every major racial/ethnic group has higher uninsured rates than their counterparts nationally, highlighting the region’s persistent coverage challenges across demographics.

In the Houston region, Asian American and Hispanic adults saw the largest decrease in uninsured rates between 2010 and 2023, dropping by about 15 percentage points. In 2010, 28% of Asian Americans in the Houston region lacked health insurance—that fell to 12% in 2023. For Hispanic adults in 2010, 54% in the Houston region did not have uninsurance. As of 2023, that population’s uninsurance rate was 39%—still the highest in the region but an improvement from 2010.

The Kaiser Family Foundation identified several reasons why insurance coverage gaps differ and persist across race/ethnicity. For instance, people of color are more likely to live in low-income families that do not have coverage offered by an employer or to have difficulty affording private coverage when it is available. Additionally, uninsured nonelderly Hispanic and Asian people are more likely to be ineligible for coverage because of immigration status, reflecting higher shares of noncitizens among these groups.³

Primary care physician availability in the Houston region has improved slightly over the last decade

What factors affect access to health care? Sufficient availability of primary care physicians is crucial for preventative and primary care. Primary care physicians (PCPs) serve as the first point of contact with the health care system for many patients; thus, they are more likely to be the first to screen major health-related conditions, detect early signs of disease, and address health concerns at an early stage. Adults in the U.S. who have a primary care provider are more likely to report significantly better health care access and experience,⁴ and increasing the rate of PCPs in a region can increase life expectancy and reduce cardiovascular diseases and cancer. People with PCPs also have 19% lower odds of premature death than those who only see specialists for care.

Additionally, primary care also reduces overall costs. People with access to PCPs are less likely to use an emergency room for care. It is estimated that the U.S. could potentially save $67 billion a year if everyone saw a PCP first rather than a specialist.⁵ Access to providers can be measured by the ratio of the total population to the number of primary care physicians. This represents the number of residents potentially served by a registered primary care physician within a specific geography.

Although availability to primary care providers (PCPs) has improved slightly in Texas, the gap between the state rate (1,660:1) and the national rate (1,330:1) persists. In Houston’s three-county area, there were 3,891 registered primary care physicians in 2021. On average, for every 1,603 residents, there was one physician. The ratio of residents to PCPs ranges from 1,717:1 in Harris County to 1,181:1 in Fort Bend County, indicating residents in Fort Bend County generally have more access to PCPs than the other two counties. Access to primary care physicians in Fort Bend County has improved steadily since 2010, passing both the state and national rates. Montgomery County’s residents-to-PCP ratio decreased from 1,680:1 in 2020 to 1,583:1 in 2022.

Read about challenges and availability of mental health care in the Houston area.

Preventable hospital stays in the Houston region have declined

Reducing preventable hospitalizations is critical for increasing quality of care and controlling health care costs. Medical conditions such as asthma and diabetes are considered ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC). Generally, these conditions can be treated in outpatient settings by primary or preventative health care providers, which reduces the need for emergency room visits or inpatient hospitalization.

Data show that the majority of preventable hospital stays occur in patients aged 65 and older. Preventable hospital stays are measured by the number of hospital stays for ACSC per 100,000 Medicare enrollees in a given time period. High hospitalization rates for ACSC suggest a tendency of overusing emergency rooms and urgent care as a main source of care. It also places financial burdens on patients, insurance providers, and hospitals as well.

In 2022, the preventable hospitalization rate in Montgomery County was the highest among the three counties and higher than the state. However, the incidence rate of these stays has declined in each Houston-area county, Texas overall, and nationally since 2016, with declines of41% in Fort Bend, 38% in Harris, 36% in Montgomery, 40% in Texas, and 41% in the U.S. overall.

Preventable hospitalization rates also vary by racial/ethnic groups, with Black residents having a much higher rate compared to Hispanic and white residents.

The number of ACSC hospital stays among Black adults in Harris County was 5,272 per 100,000 Medicare enrollees in 2022 compared to 3,067 per 100,000 Medicare enrollees for Hispanic adults in Harris County, 2,582 for white adults, and 1,865 for Asian American adults. While gaps between racial/ethnic groups have narrowed over time, they still persist.  In Montgomery County in 2016, white adults had a higher preventable hospitalization rate compared to Hispanic adults. By 2023, the preventable hospitalization rate for Hispanic adults surpassed that for white adults.

This is not a new trend. Since 1998, racial and ethnic disparities in hospitalizations from chronic ACSCs have increased, resulting in over 430,000 excess hospitalizations among non-Hispanic Blacks compared to non-Hispanic whites.⁶ According to one study, Black adults had significantly higher rates of ACSC hospitalizations than white adults, even after controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic factors.⁷ There is no biological reason for race or ethnicity to predict preventable hospitalizations. Reasons for these persistent disparities include, but are not limited to, health care providers’ attitudes and internalized biases, disease stereotyping and clinical nomenclature, and clinical algorithms, tools, and treatment guidelines.

More Helpful Articles by Understanding Houston:

• Houston is Resilient
• Houston is Vibrant
• The Big Picture Event | Fort Bend County
• Ending the Inertia of Student Mobility in Houston
• Is Houston Affordable?

Funding, Enrollment & Teachers

A thriving public school system requires sufficient funding, robust student enrollment and effective teachers

Student enrollment increased in Fort Bend and Montgomery counties although their per pupil spending continues to lag the state. Teachers across Texas and the Houston three-county region continue to grow more diverse, but teacher turnover rates begin to increase once again. The average base pay for teachers in the Houston region is higher than the state, but public Texas school teacher salaries continue to lag the national average.

The data

School funding is on the rise, but per pupil spending in Houston’s three-county area lags that of the state

How does school funding affect students? Funding is critical for student success. Research has shown high school graduation rates increase by about seven percentage points for all students — and roughly 10 percentage points for students from low-income families — for every 10% increase in per-pupil spending.⁶

In 2023, the U.S. spent around $16,526 per pupil (costs associated with instruction, student support services, and payroll for public pre-K-12 schools), according to the Census’ Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Where does Texas rank in school funding per child? According to the Census Bureau, average per pupil spending in Texas ($12,304) is well below the national average.⁷ Among all 50 states and District of Columbia, Texas ranks 42^nd on this measure (an improvement from its rank as 44^th in 2019).

Furthermore, a 2024 analysis conducted by Houston Education Research Consortium found that 73% of Texas school districts were underfunded during the 2020-21 school year and that a statistically significant relationship exists between district funding gaps and student achievement with districts that have larger funding gaps generally having lower student achievement.

Total Operating Expenditures per Pupil measures the total operating expenditures, divided by the number of students. This measure excludes debt service, construction expenditures, and other capital outlays. It is a key metric as it reflects the level of resources available to support each student’s education.

Total operating expenditures per student⁸ in Texas increased about $1,100 (inflation-adjusted) to $12,754 in 2012-23 from $11,653 in 2005-06 in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars, according to the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

Student enrollment grows in Fort Bend and Montgomery counties but stagnates in Harris County

Enrollment refers to the number of students enrolled in public schools (including charters) from early childhood education (pre-K) through 12th grade as of the last Friday in October.

Enrollment in Texas public schools exceeded 5.5 million students in the 2023-24 school year, an increase of 6% since 2014-15. Since the 1987-88 school year, when the Texas Education Agency began collecting data in its current system, public school enrollment in Texas has increased every year—except for a 2% decline between 2019-20 and 2020-21, an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.⁹

Across the three-county area, 1.1 million students were enrolled in public schools for the 2023-24 academic year, representing a 5% increase from 2014-15. During this period, enrollment in Harris County stagnated, but Fort Bend and Montgomery counties saw significant growth increasing by 23% and 29%, respectively.

Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity

Public schools in Texas and in Houston’s three-county region serve a diverse population of students — the majority of whom identify as nonwhite, consistent with the racial/ethnic composition of Greater Houston’s population.

In the 2023-24 school year in Texas, Hispanic students accounted for the largest group of total enrollment (53%), followed by white (25%), Black (13%), Asian-American (5%), and multiracial (3%) students. Among the three local counties, Montgomery has the highest percentage of students who are white (42%), Fort Bend has the highest share of Asian American students (20%), and Harris County has the largest proportion of Hispanic students (56%) making up over half the student population. This reflects the demographic composition of these counties.

Between the 2019-20 and 2023-24 school years, the racial/ethnic composition of students did not change much across the Houston three-county region or Texas with the exception of Montgomery County where the percentage of white students decreased by six points.

Enrollment by Socioeconomic Status

School districts are required to collect and report the socioeconomic status of each student to the Texas Education Agency for purposes of the annual state accountability ratings and for federal reporting. A student who is eligible for free or reduced-price lunch or for other public assistance is classified as “economically disadvantaged.”

In 2023-24, the majority (62%) of students enrolled in Texas public schools were classified as economically disadvantaged. While the share of economically disadvantaged students has grown throughout the three-county area, it remains highest in Harris County at 69%. Harris County’s rate of economically disadvantaged students is higher than the state average (62%), Montgomery County (50%), and Fort Bend County (49%). However, the percentage of economically disadvantaged students has increased slightly faster in Fort Bend (10 points) and Montgomery (9 points) counties compared to Harris County (7 points) between.

Enrollment of Emergent Bilingual Students

Students whose primary language at home is not English and who are not yet proficient in English are classified as emergent bilingual (EB). EBs are a diverse group of students with varying levels of English proficiency. Students classified as EBs are eligible to participate in language assistance programs that help them attain English proficiency and support core academic programs such as English as a second language, dual language, or bilingual programs. Research has shown that participation in enhanced language programs not only helps to improve students’ English language skills, but also helps to improve educational outcomes.¹⁰

The proportion of students classified as EB has grown in our region and across the state since 2014–15. As of the 2023–24 school year, 22% of students in Fort Bend County are classified as EB, 32% in Harris County, 21% in Montgomery County, and 24% across Texas.

Texas replaced the term “English learner” (EL) with emergent bilingual (EB) to emphasize bilingualism as a strength, reflecting  research on the cognitive benefits of learning multiple languages. However, the timing of reclassification to English proficient significantly affects student outcomes. Students who reclassify as English proficient in elementary school typically outperform their peers, including those who were never classified as EB. In contrast, students who remain classified as EB through middle or high school face greater academic challenges.

A report from Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research found a growing share of EB students are not reclassified by the time they enter middle school. Among students who began first grade in 2011–12, nearly half had not been reclassified by the time they began middle school in 2016–17. That rate grew to over 80% for students who started first grade in 2018–19 and entered middle school in 2023–24. This report points to a key change made in 2018 to the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment—the test for students to be classified as English proficient—particularly the shift from an in-person, teacher-administered exam to an online assessment. In 2017, the year prior to the changes, more than half of students passed the oral portion but that dropped to just 7.6% in 2018.

Enrollment in Special Education

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures all eligible children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education. However, students with disabilities in Texas had not been receiving the services, therapies, and education they require because of a 2004 policy set by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) that capped the percentage of students who could receive special education services at 8.5%, denying thousands of students the support they needed. After a 2016 Houston Chronicle investigation, the cap was banned in 2017. Then in 2018, the U.S. Department of Education found Texas had violated federal law by setting this cap and ordered Texas to create a plan to correct the problem.

Despite this, a 2021 follow-up revealed that the TEA had failed to implement the necessary changes to comply with IDEA. As of 2023, the U.S. Department of Education announced that the Texas Education Agency had fulfilled its obligations as outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. To ensure continued compliance, the Texas Education Agency conducts annual compliance reviews of local education agencies.

Recent data from the Texas Education Agency show the percentage of students served in special education programs has increased since the Houston Chronicle investigation came out in 2016, but remains lower than national averages. In 2023-24, the percentage of students enrolled in special education programs was 14% in Fort Bend County and Texas and 13% in Harris and Montgomery counties. While national 2023-24 data is not yet available, in 2022-23 the national rate was 15%, according to the 2023 Digest of Education Statistics. 

Between 2014-15 and 2023-24, the percentage of students in special education programs doubled in Fort Bend County and increased by 5 percentage points in Harris and Montgomery counties and Texas overall.

Teacher experience in Harris County has improved but still lags the state, which lags the country

Established research has shown that teachers are the No. 1 predictor of student success inside the classroom.¹¹ They are critical and foundational to delivering a high-quality education. Students who have consistent access to excellent teachers have better academic outcomes, are more likely to succeed in future academic work, are more likely to graduate from high school,¹² and are more likely to enroll in higher education.¹³

Teacher Experience

Similar to professionals in other occupations, as teachers gain experience, they become more effective. As teachers have time to master their craft, their students show academic gains. These gains are more pronounced in the first decade of teaching, but extend through the second and third decade as well, and their students also have better attendance and score higher on standardized tests (one measure of learning).¹⁴

Nationally, American teachers had an average of 14.5 years of teaching experience in 2020-21 (most recent data available), well below the 11.2-year average among teachers in Texas for the same year, which suggests teachers in Texas are more likely to leave their profession earlier.

Across the state, average teacher experience did not improve much between 2017-18 (10.9 years) and 2023-24 (11.1 years). While the average years of teaching experience in Harris County remains below the state average, it increased almost a full year between 2018 and 2024 while the average decreased by half a year in Montgomery County during the same time.

Across all three counties and the state, the percent of teachers with five or fewer years of experience slightly decreased between 2017-18 and 2020-21 but then increased as of the 2023-24 school year. More than a third of teachers (36 %) across the state have five or fewer years of experience, with similar percentages across the three-county area. This is more or less the same as the 2018 share of 37%. Among Houston’s three-county region, students in Harris County are more likely to be educated by new teachers than those in Fort Bend or Montgomery counties. Given the size of Harris County, this pushes the overall average for the three-county region above that of the state.

Research also shows that Black and Latino students are most likely to be in classrooms with teachers who are in their first year of teaching or their first five years of teaching (known as “novice teachers”). The Education Trust finds that about 34% of Black students and 17% of Latino¹⁵ students in Texas attend schools with high percentages (i.e., greater than or equal to 20%) of novice teachers.

Teacher Demographics

Students are also less likely to be taught by teachers of color. This is important because being taught by a diverse teacher workforce has benefits for all students, not just those of color, but the benefits tend to be more pronounced for students of color. Students who are taught by a diverse workforce show better academic outcomes, lower suspension rates, and higher graduation rates.¹⁶

Compared to the racial/ethnic makeup of the student body, the teacher workforce in the Texas public school system is far less diverse. While the majority of teachers in Texas are white, diversity is slowly increasing. Between the 2012-13 and the 2023-24 school years, the percentage of white teachers declined from 63% to 53%, while the share of Hispanic teachers increased by 5 percentage points to 30%, and the share of Black teachers increased about three points to 13% in 2023-24. The proportion of teachers in Texas who are Black now match the proportion of students. However, the proportion of white teachers (53%) is still higher than the proportion of white students (25%) and the proportion of Hispanic teachers (30%) is still lower than the proportion of Hispanic students (53%).

Mirroring larger trends in Greater Houston’s diversity, the teacher workforce in Fort Bend and Harris counties is much more diverse than in Montgomery County and the state. Harris County’s teacher workforce was the most diverse in the 2023-24 school year, with 41% of teachers being white and about a quarter of teachers being Black or Hispanic. In Fort Bend County, during the 2023-24 school year, 44% of teachers were white, 29% were Black, and 19% Hispanic. In Montgomery County nearly three quarters of teachers were white although this rate has decreased by 12 points to 73%. Throughout the three-county area, the percentage of Black teachers is twice the 11% state average.

Supporting Teachers

In order for teachers to gain the experience to become more effective, they need support to remain in the profession. Over the past few years, teacher shortages have been a growing concern as educators leave the profession.¹⁷ National estimates prior to the pandemic show that between 19% and 30% of new teachers leave the profession within the first five years.¹⁸ Attrition rates in urban-area and high-poverty schools are higher than average.¹⁹ And this trend appears to be continuing with estimates that across the U.S. in 2024 about 1 in 8 teaching positions were either unfilled or filled by teachers not fully certified for their roles. Teacher turnover rates can provide an indication of the challenges school districts face to replace teachers who may have left the profession or gone to another school district or private schools.

The teacher turnover rate in Houston’s three-county region and in Texas overall improved between 2018 and 2021, but by 2024, it had risen above 2018 levels. Across Fort Bend, Harris, and Montgomery counties the turnover rate is the same at about 19%. The trends seen in turnover rates across the three-county region match what has occurred at the state level where in 2024 the teacher turnover rate was also 19%.

Many reasons have been given for this trend,²⁰ including the teacher “pay penalty” which shows that public school teachers earn 27% less in weekly wages than nonteacher college graduates—significantly higher than in 1996 when school teachers were earning 6% less than their similarly educated peers not in the teaching profession. Other research shows the gap widens as teachers remain in the profession.²¹ Teacher shortages are largely driven by attrition, with an estimated 90% of vacancies every year being due to teachers leaving the profession. This indicates that increased efforts in teacher retention could help combat workforce shortages. Texas House Bill 2, passed in 2025, allocates an additional $8.5 billion in funding for public schools with estimates that about half will go towards teacher and staff pay and retention.

The Texas Education Agency determines minimum salary schedules for public school teachers statewide. For the 2025-26 school year, the minimum salaries for teachers across Texas ranged from $33,960 for first-year teachers to $55,030 for teachers with 20 or more years of experience. After factoring in education and experience, Texas public school teachers earned 24% less in weekly wages than similar college graduates in 2023—lower than the national average of 26.6%

Controlling for inflation, it is estimated that the average Texas public school teacher salary decreased by 9% from 2009-10 to 2023-24. In 2022-23 the average salary of a public school teacher was $60,716 in Texas and continues to lag the national average of $69,597.

Within Houston’s three-county area, the average base salary is about 7% higher than the state average. Fort Bend County offered the region’s highest average base pay during the 2024-25 school year at $69,674per year. Harris County’s average base pay for teachers is nearly on par with Fort Bend County’s at $68,728 with Montgomery County slightly lagging at $65,140.

Stress is also a contributing factor teachers cite for leaving the profession.²² The 2024 State of the American Teacher Survey from RAND Corporation found that about twice as many teachers reported experiencing frequent job-related stress or burnout compared with comparable working adults. One of the main factors for beginning teachers to leave within the first year is lack of adequate support from school administration, including training.²³ In fact, new teachers who receive little preparation and training are two and a half times more likely to leave after one year.²⁴ A 2025 Gallup poll found that teachers are more likely to be satisfied with their workplace if they also report that they have “the opportunity to do what I do best every day,” “satisfaction with workload,” and “satisfaction with level of pay.” While smaller class sizes can increase student performance, they also affect teacher stress.

The ratio of students to teachers in Houston’s three-county area decreased slightly between 2021 and 2024 while it increased slightly across the state. The National Center for Education Statistics shows the national average of 15.4 in fall 2022 (the most recent available), at which point the ratio in Texas was 14.8. While this ratio has slightly decreased in Harris and Montgomery counties it increased in Fort Bend County from 15.4 students for every teacher in 2021 to 16.2 students for every teacher in 2024. Within the three-county area, student-teacher ratios vary among school districts. In Montgomery County, Willis ISD has the highest student-teacher ratio at 17.3, while Splendora ISD has the lowest at 14.9. In Harris County, the lowest student-teacher ratio is in Pasadena ISD at 13.1 and the highest in Crosby ISD at 17.1. In Fort Bend County, the student-teacher ratio is higher in Fort Bend ISD at 16.4 compared to Needville ISD at 14.4.

Continue reading about education in Houston on our educational attainment, academic outcomes and post-secondary education pages

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• Ending the Inertia of Student Mobility in Houston
• COVID-19’s Ongoing Effect on Students in Greater Houston
• Caring for Teachers is Caring for Students
• The Costliest Problem We Know How to Fix
• Using Science and Evidence To Drive Investments in Early Childhood

Post-Secondary Education

The continued shift to a knowledge-based economy means the best opportunities for job prospects and upward mobility will require education and training beyond high school

Although rates of college readiness in the region have begun to increase, college enrollment and completion have mostly stagnated, and not enough Houston-area students earn post-secondary credentials after high school. Disparities in college readiness, enrollment, and completion persist by socioeconomic status and race­—students who have been historically underrepresented and marginalized.

The data

Before getting into the data about readiness, enrollment and completion, it is helpful to clarify exactly what is post-secondary education. In the simplest terms, any education or training that goes beyond traditional high school coursework is considered post-secondary education. Common post-secondary options include four-year universities, two-year community colleges, trade schools, and apprenticeships.

College readiness rates in the Houston region have ticked up

College readiness/preparedness refers to the cumulative knowledge and skills a high school graduate is expected to have upon entering higher education. It is commonly measured by GPA, participation in advanced coursework such as Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB), as well as performance on state-standardized tests or college entrance exams such as the SAT or ACT.

However, many freshmen who enroll in public Texas colleges and universities are placed into developmental (also known as remedial or pre-college) courses, a determination based on these and other test results. These courses do not typically earn college credit toward degrees but are usually required before students who are not considered “college ready” can begin college-level coursework. 

National data show this obstacle is shared by about a third of students nationwide. Students who are required to spend one to two years in developmental education before beginning college-credit-level coursework are less likely to graduate with a degree or certificate, and if they do, take significantly longer, incurring both financial and opportunity costs.¹ Other studies show that when colleges consider multiple measures (such as GPA, time between high school and college, or the number of courses on the subject a student has taken) to determine college readiness, students who would have been originally placed in developmental education but instead take college-level coursework immediately (or concurrently), their academic outcomes are better than if they only enrolled in developmental coursework, which calls into question the need for developmental education.² 

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) offers a composite measure of College-Ready graduates that reflects the percentage of high school graduates who have met at least one of six criteria: (1) meeting the college-ready criteria on the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Assessment (ELA/reading and math), SAT, ACT, or by successfully completing and earning credit for a college prep course; (2) earning a minimum of dual course credit hours; (3) passing at least one AP or IB exam; (4) earning an associate’s degree while in high school; (5) earning OnRamp course credits; or (6) a graduate who is identified as receiving special education who graduates under an Advanced Diploma Plan.

The share of high school graduates in Texas classified as college-ready by these criteria has ticked up over the last five years. The state average increased from 50% in 2018 to 62% in 2022-23, with the most significant increase occurring between 2022 and 2023. It is worth noting that the college-ready criterion specific to students receiving special education was not included prior to the 2022–23 school year. This additional criterion likely contributed to the increases in college-readiness rates.

Prior to 2023, there was more variation in college-readiness rates among all three Houston-area counties and the state, with Fort Bend County having the highest rates.

Between 2018 and 2022, college-readiness rates dipped by 8 percentage points in Fort Bend County and 4 percentage points in Montgomery County. College readiness in Harris County remained flat during the same period, never fluctuating  more than 1–3 points.

Between 2022 and 2023, college-readiness rates increased significantly by 12 points in Fort Bend County, 10 points in Montgomery County, and 9 points in Harris County and Texas. The definition of college readiness for the 2023 school year was updated to include an additional criterion. This likely contributed to the significant one-year increases in college-readiness rates. As of 2023, college-readiness rates are much similar across the counties and the state ranging from 61–64%.

SAT/ACT

For decades, the SAT (founded in 1926 and formerly known as the Scholastic Assessment Test) and the ACT (founded in 1959 and formerly known as American College Testing) have been used by four-year colleges and universities to inform admissions and scholarship decisions. However, in recent years, these tests have been less emphasized amid academic and legal claims that they disadvantage low-income, Black, Latino, and other students of color. The COVID-19 pandemic affected the availability of test-taking opportunities to such a degree that many universities adopted “test-optional” policies for 2021 and 2022, with some extending the policy into 2023. As of 2025, many universities considered more selective have reinstated requirements for students to submit ACT or SAT scores, although over 2,000 colleges are still test-optional. While their popularity in admissions decisions may be in decline, these tests continue to be used to evaluate the level of academic preparedness of students.

More than 400 school districts across the state participate in SAT School Day — when students can take the SAT on their high school campus during the school day, rather than on the weekend (which is typical) — at least once in the last five years.

Texans are much more likely to take the SAT than the ACT. According to the Texas Education Agency, nearly 280,000 graduates from Texas public and private high schools in 2023 took the SAT compared to 89,000 who took the ACT.  For students in the class of 2023, 71% took the SAT, compared to 50% nationally, and 23% took the ACT, compared to 37% nationally.

In 2023, about 90% of high school graduates in Fort Bend and Harris counties took either the SAT or ACT. Montgomery County participation rates are lower at about 73%, which lags Texas as well. After a decrease in SAT/ACT participation rates during the school years most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-21 and 2021-22), rates ticked up in 2023. Between 2018 and 2023, participation rates increased by 10 percentage points in Fort Bend County, 9 points in Montgomery County, and 3 points in Harris County.

The rate of examinees who score at or above criterion for the SAT or ACT tells a different story however. As participation in these tests increases, performance tends to decline. Between 2018 and 2023, the percentage of examinees who were at or above the score required to be considered college ready decreased 15 percentage points in Montgomery County, 14 points in Fort Bend County, 9 points across Texas, and 7 points in Harris County. Fort Bend and Montgomery counties historically have had the highest percentage of examinees who were at or above criterion while Harris County’s rate has been the lowest. As of 2023, college-readiness rates per the SAT/ACT  were 43% in Montgomery County, 39% in Fort Bend County, 29% across Texas, and 28% in Harris County.

Participation rates and performance vary considerably by gender, racial group and socioeconomic status. As with most racial/ethnic disparities in education, this is partly because of discriminatory practices that have existed since our nation’s founding (such as redlining and segregation), exacerbated by present-day imbalances (i.e., poverty, disinvestment in public schools).

Across all counties and the state, Asian American students were the most likely to take the SAT or ACT while economically-disadvantaged students were the least likely.  The SAT/ACT participation rates by demographic groups vary the most in Montgomery County with only 60% of economically-disadvantaged students taking the SAT or ACT compared to 96% of Asian American students.

Differences between demographic groups are much larger for SAT/ACT performance than participation. Participation rates across groups are usually apart by single-digit percentage points compared to the overall average. But when it comes to the percentage of students meeting the college-readiness benchmark, the gaps are often in the double digits. For example, in Fort Bend County, Black and Hispanic students meet the college-ready criteria for SAT/ACT performance at a rate 18 percentage points lower than all students in the county despite participating at lower rates.

Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Assessment

Students who enroll in public colleges and universities in Texas for the first time must take the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Assessment unless they scored above a certain threshold on the ACT, SAT, or STAAR End-of-Course (EOC) exams; have military experience; are transferring from another higher education institution; or are enrolling in a certificate program that can be completed in less than a year.

Students who take the TSI Assessment must meet minimum standards in mathematics, writing and reading, which indicate they are prepared for freshman-level college coursework. Students who do not meet the benchmark on the TSI Assessment must work with an academic advisor and develop a plan to become classified as “college ready.”

About 56% of Texas high school graduates in 2022 who took the TSI Assessment met or exceeded the college-ready criteria in all areas, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).

Success rates in the three-county region and across Texas on the TSI Assessment increased from 2015 to around 2019 but then began to fall. Between 2015 and 2022, the percentage of graduates who met TSI minimum standards decreased the most significantly in Montgomery County by 12 percentage points, followed by Fort Bend County at 5 points, and Harris County and Texas at 3 points each.

Fort Bend and Montgomery counties have typically had higher TSI success rates while Harris County has typically had the lowest. As of 2022, the percent of graduates considered college ready through the TSI assessment was 65% in Fort Bend County, 57% in Montgomery County, 56% in Texas overall, and 54% in Harris County.

Significant disparities can be found in the TSI Assessment success rates across race/ethnicity in Texas — ranging about 40 percentage points — and these gaps have persisted over the past several years. This trend, sometimes referred to as the achievement gap, is actually an opportunity or access gap; it is primarily an extension of the extreme pre-existing differences in the delivery of pre-K through 12th grade education and its resulting disparities in academic outcomes.

College enrollment rates directly from Texas high schools have declined over the last decade

After two consecutive years (between 2020 and 2022) of declines in higher education enrollment nationally, we are seeing a rebound, with public 2-year and primarily associate-degree-awarding institutions seeing the greatest gains. Overall, college enrollment fell across the nation by about 3% in 2020 and 2021 and remained flat in 2022. Beginning in 2023, enrollment numbers began to tick back up increasing by 1.1% that year and then by 4.5% in 2024.

For public colleges and universities in Texas, the most recent data available at publication is for students who graduated in 2022 and enrolled in higher education the following fall. During this time, college enrollment numbers were still decreasing nationally. Across Texas and the Houston three-county region, college enrollment rates have been in decline over the last decade, mirroring national trends with particularly steep drops in fall 2020 (the pandemic’s peak). However, enrollment rates stabilized or showed modest increases in 2021 and 2022. Because students who go out-of-state or attend private universities are not trackable in this data set, this figure tells only part of the college-going story. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) estimates that about half of high school graduates are not tracked or identified in Texas’ public higher education system, suggesting they do not enroll or enroll out-of-state. An analysis from Texas A&M found that about 14% of students who enrolled in college immediately after graduation in 2022 went out of state. The percentage of high school graduates enrolled in Texas public higher education institutions has declined to 45% in 2022 from 50% in 2013.

Across Texas between 2019 and 2020, enrollment in 2-year colleges decreased by 4 percentage points while 4-year enrollment rates did not change. Between 2020 and 2022, enrollment rates in 2-year colleges stagnated while they ticked up slightly in 4-year colleges, which led to a gap of only 1 percentage point between 2-year and 4-year enrollment rates in 2022—the gap was 10 points in 2013. From 2013 to 2022, four-year university enrollment across Texas and Houston’s three-county region has remained relatively stable, consistently hovering around 20% of graduates, while two-year college enrollment tended to fluctuate more.

Among high school graduates in Fort Bend County, 2-year college enrollment dropped in 2020 and then leveled off, while 4-year enrollment remained steady. By 2022, 4-year enrollment reached 30% compared to 22% for 2-year colleges—making Fort Bend the only Houston-area county where more students choose 4-year institutions over community colleges. In Harris County, 2-year enrollment rates in fall 2022 were 25% compared to 19% for 4-year enrollment rates. In Montgomery County, 2-year and 4-year rates decreased by about the same amount in 2020 and increased by about the same amount in 2021. In 2022, 2-year enrollment rates were 26% while 4-year enrollment rates were 19%.

Between 2013 and 2022, overall college enrollment rates (combining 2- and 4-year enrollment) decreased by 8 percentage points in Fort Bend County, 6 points across Texas, 5 points in Harris County, and 3 points in Mongomery County.

College enrollment by race/ethnicity is available only at the state level. Texas high school graduates who identify as Asian American enroll in the state’s public four-year universities or two-year colleges at the highest rate among the four largest racial/ethnic groups (61%), and Black students have the lowest enrollment rates at 41%. Asian American students have the highest rate of enrollment in 4-year universities (43%) and the lowest enrollment rates in 2-year colleges (18%). Hispanic students have the lowest enrollment rates in 4-year universities (18%) and the highest rate of enrollment in 2-year universities (25%).

Note: Educational outcomes vary significantly within the “Asian” category as the term includes a group of people who descend from about 50 different countries with distinct political and immigration histories. For example, according to a 2025 report from the Pew Research Center, 77% of Indian Americans and 58% of Chinese Americans have a bachelor’s degree compared to 20% of Bhutanese and 18% of Laotians.  Additionally, given that the general terms “Hispanic” or “Latino” are used to describe a group of people who originate from a wide variety of Spanish-speaking or Latin American countries, and who understand their identity in different ways, the diversity within that broad group can often go unnoticed. Similar to Asian Americans, the educational attainment varies within this broader group. The latest data available from the Pew Research Center shows that 57% of Venezuelans and 46% of Argentines have at least a bachelor’s degree compared to 13% of Salvadorans and 11% of Guatemalans.

Several factors contribute to a high school graduate’s decision to not enroll in a higher education program to which they have been accepted. Students may opt to attend a different higher education institution such as community college, a private university, or somewhere out of state, or to not enroll entirely — a phenomenon known as “summer melt.” Research shows that access to financial aid is among the largest factors that contribute to “summer melt,” and that targeting interventions for students who come from low-income backgrounds or racial/ethnic groups that have been historically underrepresented and under-supported in higher education could have the most significant impact.^3,4,5

The share of Texas high school graduates who applied to in-state public four-year universities for the fall semester immediately following high school graduation reached a decade high in 2022, although not much progress has been made. The application rate grew 2 percentage points from 34% in 2013 to 36% in 2022.

Similarly, the college admission rate for this population ticked up in 2022 to 33% from 29% in 2013. We see a similar trend in the rate of college applicants who are accepted and enroll in a four-year university, increasing by only 1 percentage point between 2013 (20%) and 2022 (21%). Concerningly, the percentage of college applicants who were accepted to a four-year in-state public university but did not enroll increased from 9% in 2013 to 12% in 2022.

Low graduation rates from Texas colleges creates wide-ranging costs for the region

Completing college with a degree or certificate is important for both individuals pursuing higher education and the region at large. Students who finish college are more likely to work in jobs that earn livable wages and provide benefits, and be  civically engaged.⁹ Moreover, when students leave college without completing a degree, many are saddled with the debt without benefitting from the wage premium that higher education degrees typically provide. This double-negative situation where costs increase without improvement in earnings leads to a higher likelihood of defaulting on student loans, which jeopardizes future earnings, job and housing prospects; damages credit history and limits the ability to borrow money in the future; and hinders overall economic mobility and prosperity.⁶

Nationally, 49% of students who enroll full-time in a four-year university graduate within four years and about 65% graduate in six years (150% of normal time), though graduation rates at private nonprofit universities tend to be higher than at public universities. At two-year colleges, 34% of similar degree-seeking students finish with a credential within 150% of normal time, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

The following data shows the percentage of high school students who received a degree or credential from a public Texas four- or two-year college within eight years of their high school graduation. These data should be interpreted differently from the national graduation rates above: The national graduation rate is representative of the overall number of students who enroll in college whereas the Texas-related data below is representative of the number of graduating public high school students. It is for this reason the Texas “completion” rates are significantly lower than the national rates and should not be compared.

About 20% of students who graduated from a Texas public high school in 2016 (the most recent year for which there is complete data) received a degree from a public in-state four-year university within eight years of their high school graduation. Only about 10% of high school graduates in 2016 who earned a four-year degree finished within four years An additional 6% took five years, and 3% more took six years (150% of normal time) to finish a “four-year” degree.

About 11% of students who graduated from a Texas public high school in 2016 (the most recent year for which there is complete data) received a degree or certificate from a public in-state two-year college within eight years. For high school graduates who earn a two-year degree, 7% completed their degree within three to four years (150%-200% of normal time). For the high school class of 2016, about 3% of high school grads completed in two years or fewer (normal time) after high school graduation. An additional 3% took five to six years to finish a “two-year” degree. The traditional mission of community colleges is different from four-year universities as students typically hope to transfer from a two-year college to a four-year university, and they may or may not receive a credential on that path.

Too few eighth graders earn a college credential by the time they turn 25

Tracking the educational progress of eighth graders who attend Texas public schools shows that a small share ultimately received a college credential from a Texas higher education institution within six years of their projected high school graduation date, or by the time they are 25 years old.

Among Texas students who started eighth grade in 2012, 83% graduated from high school, 53% enrolled in a university or college in Texas, and only a quarter graduated with a post-secondary degree or credential within six years of completing high school.

What about the progress of Houston-area public school students going to college in Texas? Outcomes in Houston’s three-county region closely mirror that in the state. Nearly 74,000 eighth-graders were enrolled in Houston’s three-county region in 2012-13: about 7,700 in Fort Bend; 59,000 in Harris; and 7,300 in Montgomery

Students who live in Fort Bend County have had better outcomes than those in Texas and Harris and Montgomery counties. While students in Harris and Montgomery public schools have outcomes that are similar to the state average. In Fort Bend County, 34% of eighth-grade students earned a postsecondary degree or credential within six years of graduating high school compared to 24% in Harris County and 25% in Montgomery County.

As we’ve seen with other educational indicators, disparities exist across groups partly due to discriminatory practices that have existed since our nation’s founding which are exacerbated by present-day imbalances. Given this, Black and Hispanic eighth-grade students are less likely than their white peers to complete a post-secondary education within six years of graduating high school. In the Houston region, 16% of Black and 19% of Hispanic students in the eighth-grade cohort completed postsecondary education compared to 34% of white students.

Female students are more likely than their male classmates to earn a postsecondary degree by 9-12 percentage points across the three-county region and the state of Texas.

After decreases, the share of high school graduates classified as career or military ready has been increasing

Beyond the focus of college-ready graduates, the TEA also measures College, Career, or Military Readiness (CCMR). In 2019, Texas House Bill 3 established a CCMR outcomes bonus, which provides extra education funding to districts to offer students greater access to career opportunities, and more advanced career and technical education (CTE) courses to ensure that every child is prepared for success in college, career or the military. A graduate is considered CCMR if they meet at least one of 10 criteria, including one of the six college-ready criteria or one of the four career or military readiness criteria.

Of the nearly 380,000 Texas public high school graduates in 2023, over 287,000 (or 77%) demonstrated college, career, or military readiness. That was an increase of 11 percentage points from 2018.

The share of graduates classified as CCMR in each county of the region and the state ticked up between 2018 and 2019 but declined the following year in 2020. Rates mostly stagnated the following year (2021) but began to tick back up in 2022. As of 2023, the rate of CCMR high school graduates is higher than it was in 2018, except for in Fort Bend County. The CCMR rate increased by 9 percentage points in Harris and Montgomery counties and 11 points across the state of Texas since 2018. The percent of graduates classified as CCMR in 2023 was 70% in Fort Bend County, 74% in Harris County, 80% in Montgomery County, and 76% across the state of Texas.

Read about foundational academic readiness in early childhood education in Texas.

Career or Military Ready

While most post-secondary outcomes focus on higher education (“college ready”), Texas high schools can help students achieve alternative paths to employment. In 2019, Texas House Bill 3 took into account these alternatives when constructing the CCMR Outcomes Bonus awards.

According to the TEA, a high school graduate is considered career or military ready if they meet any of the four career or military readiness criteria: (1) earn an industry-based certification; (2) graduate with an individualized education program and demonstrated workforce readiness skills; (3) graduate with a level I or level II in a workforce education area; or (4) enlist in the armed forces.

The share of high school graduates who were designated as career or military ready over the past three years had a similar trend to that of CCMR. Students made progress between 2018 and 2019 but then fell further back in 2020.  Since then, these rates have increased in all regions except Fort Bend County (where more graduating students are classified as “college ready” than “career or military ready”). Rates of career or military readiness in each of the greater Houston region’s three counties and the state overall in 2023 were above where they were in 2018, increasing most significantly in Montgomery County by 18 percentage points. As of 2023, 43% of high school graduates in Montgomery County were considered career or military ready, compared to 36% across Texas, 35% in Harris County, and 20% in Fort Bend County.

Helpful Articles by Understanding Houston:

• Student Mobility: The Costliest Problem We Know How to Fix
• The Impact of COVID-19 on Education
• How Arts Education Helps Student Learning and Well-Being
• Houston is Big
• Is Houston Affordable?

Academic Outcomes

How well students perform throughout elementary, middle and high school has profound effects on other important areas of their lives

Academic outcomes for students in Houston’s three-county region suffered because of the pandemic, and while third-grade reading performance has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, eighth-grade math has not yet recovered. Additionally, high school graduation rates have slightly decreased for some demographic groups. Meanwhile, the percentage of students who leave high school without a diploma increased in Fort Bend, remained flat in Harris County, and fell in Montgomery County.

The data

STAAR third-grade reading scores surpass pre-pandemic performance

Third grade has been identified as important to reading literacy because it is the final year children are learning to read, after which they are “reading to learn.” Proficiency in third-grade reading exams correlates with success in future academic outcomes,⁴ including success in higher-level math coursework,⁵ eighth-grade reading level and college enrollment.⁶ Moreover, research has shown that third-grade students who do not read proficiently are four times more likely to not graduate from high school on time than those who read proficiently.⁷ An analysis from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) found that among third graders in 2017 who did not meet grade-level-standards in reading, only 5% caught up within two years.

Third grade has been identified as important to reading literacy because it is the final year children are learning to read, after which they are “reading to learn.” Proficiency in third grade reading exams correlates with success in future academic outcomes,⁵ including success in higher-level math coursework,⁶ eighth-grade reading level and college enrollment.⁷ Moreover, research has shown that third-grade students who do not read proficiently are four times more likely to not graduate from high school on time than those who read proficiently.⁸ Analysis from the TEA found that among third-graders who did not meet grade-level-standards in reading, only 5% caught up within two years.

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) testing program is based on curriculum standards in grades 3 through 8 (such as reading, writing, mathematics) and in core subjects typically taken in high school (such as history, science, social studies). Because of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas canceled STAAR tests in Spring 2020. TEA made the test optional in 2021 for students who were learning remotely (76% of whom still participated). Overall, 88% of students across the state participated in STAAR in 2021 compared to 99% in 2019. Given these anomalies, the 2021 data should be interpreted with caution. STAAR participation rates ticked back up with 99% of Texas students taking the third-grade reading exam in 2022 and 2023.

Evidence of the pandemic’s disruption to student learning is indicated in the percentage of students who met or exceeded standards on the STAAR third-grade reading test. From 2019 to 2021, the percentage of third graders who met or exceeded standards declined statewide and in all three counties with Harris County experiencing the largest decrease and Montgomery County the smallest.

By 2022, the percentage of third graders who met grade-level standards for reading rebounded, increasing by double digits in all three counties and the state, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. These gains continued into 2023 when 60% of Fort Bend County third graders met or exceeded reading standards, compared to 48% in Harris County and 56% in Montgomery County.

The same pattern emerges when disaggregating by various demographic and school program characteristics as all groups saw an increase in the share of students who met standards in 2023 compared to 2018.

In Fort Bend County, Black students saw the largest gains in the percentage that met or exceeded standards for third-grade reading, increasing by 15 points; economically disadvantaged students experienced a 13-point increase. In Harris County, students not classified as economically disadvantaged saw the largest improvement (11 points) followed closely by Black students (11 points). In Montgomery County, Black and white students both experienced an 11-point increase in the percentage of students who met or exceeded standards in third-grade reading.

Despite these improvements, disparities across groups persist. Students with disabilities continue to face the greatest challenges in meeting third-grade reading standards. In 2023, only 19% met state standards in Harris County compared to 26% in Fort Bend County. In 2023, non-economically disadvantaged students in the three-county region met third-grade reading standards at rates 26–32 percentage points higher than students who are classified as economically disadvantaged. While this gap between economically disadvantaged students and their wealthier peers closed by 5 points in Fort Bend County between 2018 and 2023, it grew by 5 points in Harris County and was flat in Montgomery County. Similarly, Fort Bend was the only county to see performance gaps close between white students and their Black and Hispanic classmates, by 8 and 5 points, respectively.

STAAR eighth-grade math and algebra scores do not recover to pre-pandemic levels

Proficiency in eighth-grade math is an important measure to assess student readiness for high school and has been linked to future academic success in higher-level math, which has consequences for college readiness and enrollment.⁸

Eighth-graders who are not enrolled in algebra take the eighth-grade math STAAR test, while eighth-graders who are enrolled in algebra take the End-of-Course (EOC) exam to assess proficiency.

Student performance on the STAAR eighth grade math exam was significantly impacted by the pandemic. In the three-county region between 2019 and 2021, the share of students who met or exceeded standards on the STAAR eighth-grade math exam fell by 20 points. While the percentage of eighth graders who performed at grade level on the STAAR math exam increased between 2021 and 2022 (except in Montgomery County), it remained below pre-pandemic levels.

The share of students in all three counties and in Texas overall who met standards on the STAAR eighth-grade math test was lower in 2023 than in 2018. Despite experiencing the largest decline during this period, Mongomery County continued to lead the three-county region in the rate of students on grade-level for eighth-grade math in 2023 at 56%, followed by 44% in Fort Bend County and 42% in Harris County.

In Houston’s three-county area, most demographic groups saw declines in the percentage of eighth graders who met grade level standards in math. In Fort Bend and Montgomery counties between 2018 and 2023, female students saw the largest decline, by 9 and 11 points, respectively. In Harris County, Hispanic students saw the largest fall in the share of students meeting performance on the STAAR eighth-grade math exam—a decline of 10 points. While most demographic groups saw declining eighth-grade math performance, students with disabilities either improved or maintained their previous levels across all three counties and the state. Despite this relative progress, they still have the lowest percentage of students meeting grade-level standards.

Algebra is typically introduced in ninth grade and is an indicator of future academic success.⁹ However, students who take algebra in eighth grade are more likely to attend and complete college.¹⁰ Results for students who took algebra in between 2018 and 2023 are below. These results include anyone who took the Algebra End-of-Course (EOC) in eighth or ninth grade.

Students who take the Algebra EOC are generally more likely to meet or exceed standards than students who take the STAAR eighth-grade math (except in Montgomery County). This variance is likely because students who take algebra are further along in their academic learning, either because they are in ninth grade, or because they are ready for higher-level mathematics.

However, performance on the Algebra EOC exams saw similarly significant declines due to the pandemic as the eighth-grade math test, with the share of students who met standards falling 17 points across the three-county region between 2019 and 2021. While both STAAR eighth-grade math and Algebra EOC performance began to rebound after 2021, they both remained below where they were pre-pandemic, with performance declining more for Algebra EOC than for STAAR eighth-grade math between 2018 and 2023.

The share of students in Fort Bend County who met or exceeded standards on the Algebra EOC exam declined by 16 percentage points from 2018 to 2023—the largest decline in the region. In 2023, 50% of students in Fort Bend County passed the Algebra EOC exam—the highest passing rate in the region— followed by 48% in Montgomery County, and 46% in Harris County. All three counties performed better than the state at 44%.

Each student group who took the Algebra EOC met or exceeded standards at a higher rate than their peers within the same county who took the eighth-grade math STAAR. This is true for every geography, except Montgomery County. However, declines on the Algebra EOC were larger than declines on the eighth-grade math test across all demographic groups between 2018 and 2023, Fort Bend County experienced some of the largest declines in the three-county region, with performance falling 19 points for Hispanic students, 18 points for female and economically disadvantaged students, and 17 points for Black students.

High school graduation rates increase for emergent bilingual students

Graduating from high school within four years is correlated with many positive future educational and life outcomes, as a diploma is a minimum requirement for most well-paying jobs and higher education. People with high school diplomas are less likely to rely on public assistance and interact with the criminal legal system, and are more likely to pursue higher education and have higher earnings.¹¹

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 87.4% for the nation and 88.7% for Texas, ranking the state 16th among the 50 states and District of Columbia.

In the Houston three-county region, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties have consistently had higher graduation rates compared to the state, while Harris County’s rate has been the lowest, though that gap has narrowed in recent years. Harris County’s graduation rate increased by 4 percentage points from 84% in 2011 to 88% in 2023; Fort Bend and Montgomery counties also increased their rates over the last decade, but with smaller gains relative to Harris County.

As with most educational outcomes, high school graduation rates vary by demographic characteristics and program. This is partly because of discriminatory practices that have existed since the nation’s founding (such as redlining), exacerbated by present-day disparities (i.e., poverty, disinvestment in public schools).

Among the Class of 2023, within their respective counties, men had slightly lower graduation rates than women; economically-disadvantaged students had lower graduation rates than their more economically secure peers; and students with disabilities or who were emergent bilingual had the lowest graduation rates. While graduation rates between 2020 and 2023 stagnated for most demographic groups, it increased by about 4 percentage points for students with disabilities in Harris County and emergent bilingual students in Montgomery County. However, graduation rates decreased by 2 percentage points for Asian students in Montgomery County and Hispanic students in Fort Bend County. Additionally, the difference in graduation rates between 2020 and 2023 for non-economically disadvantaged students compared to their economically disadvantaged peers increased slightly in Fort Bend and Harris counties while it decreased slightly in Montgomery County. The same pattern emerged for white students compared to their Black and Hispanic classmates.

High school non-completion rates in the Houston area vary by county

Given the importance of high school graduation for later educational and economic outcomes, it is unsurprising that leaving high school without a diploma has consistently been linked with negative life outcomes. Students who leave high school without a diploma are more likely to be unemployed, earn less, rely on public assistance, and become involved in the criminal legal system.¹² On average, a person without a high school diploma can expect to earn about $330,000 less over their lifetime than someone with a high school diploma as their highest level of educational attainment.¹³

Studies suggest that not completing high school is the outcome of a dynamic and cumulative process of disengagement. Common reasons for leaving before graduating include missing too many school days, failing too many classes, not being engaged in school, and having family obligations. The key to reducing the non-completion rate is to pay attention to all signs of disengagement and intervene at an early stage.^14,15

The high school non-completion rate in Texas has hovered around 6% over the past decade. Non-completion rates are consistently highest in Harris County, and although they had improved from 9% in 2011 to 7% in 2021, they ticked up to 8% in 2023. Non-completion rates in Fort Bend and Montgomery counties have been relatively steady since 2011. Nationally, the high school non-completion rate was 5% in 2022, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

High schools in the three-county region are less likely to graduate Black and Latino students, which is why these groups also have higher non-completion rates compared to their white peers. This is partly because Black and Latino students are five times more likely to attend a high-poverty school than white students,¹⁶ resulting in unequal educational experiences.¹⁷

Among the Class of 2023, men left high school early at slightly higher rates than women; students classified as economically disadvantaged did not finish at higher rates than their higher-income peers; and students with disabilities or who are emergent bilingual had the highest non-completion rates.

Between 2020 and 2023, non-completion rates in Fort Bend County, increased by about 4 percentage points among students with disabilities and classified as emergent bilingual and increased by 2 percentage points for Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students. High school non-completion rates fell by 2 percentage points for emergent bilingual students in Montgomery County during the same period.

Educational Attainment

An indicator correlated with many life outcomes, educational attainment profoundly affects individual and regional prosperity

Though the average Houstonian has more education than they did 10 years ago, significant disparities across race/ethnicity persist.

The data

Low Educational Attainment Hurts Economic Prosperity

What does educational attainment mean? Educational attainment refers to the highest level of education an individual has completed. As the shift continues toward a knowledge-based economy, higher levels of educational attainment have become increasingly important to social mobility.¹⁰ This doesn’t mean a bachelor’s degree is always necessary to secure a “good job,” but some kind of education beyond high school (also called post-secondary education) — such as a certificate, credential, apprenticeship, or associate degree — is critical to meeting the demands of the current workforce and to unlock future individual opportunities.

For at least the last three decades, workers with higher educational attainment have the lowest unemployment rates—even during times of economic downturn such as the aftermaths of the Great Recession in 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Additionally, during these economic crises, the unemployment rate tends to fluctuate less for those with more educational attainment. Between 2019 and 2020, the national unemployment rate for workers with a bachelor’s degree increased by 2.7 percentage points while the increase for those without a high school diploma was more than double that with a 6.5-point increase. As of 2024, the unemployment rate across the country for those with a bachelor’s degree was 2.3% compared to 4.2% for those with a high school diploma only and 6.2% for those without a high school diploma. Not only are lower education levels associated with higher unemployment, they are also associated with lower annual earnings and lower lifetime average earnings.¹¹

Educational attainment rates in the region continue upward trend, but with significant racial/ethnic disparities

Educational attainment in Texas lags behind the nation. The state of Texas ranks second to last nationwide in the percentage of residents with at least a high school diploma at 86.3%, compared to the national average of 89.8%. Educational attainment levels in Harris County are lower than the state average, with 83.2% of adult residents having a high school diploma. Fort Bend and Montgomery counties fare better than the state and national averages at 92.2% and 89.7%, respectively.

Texas also ranks low in the percentage of the population over the age of 25 with bachelor’s degrees. About one out of three Texans (34.2%) have a bachelor’s degree or above — placing the state 28th among all states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) — compared to 36.2% at the national level. Nearly half of all adults in Fort Bend County have earned a bachelor’s degree (49.4%), the highest attainment rate in the three-county region. If Fort Bend County were a state, it would rank second in the nation — just behind D.C. (65.9%) and ahead of Massachusetts (47.8%). The proportion of adults without a high school diploma is highest in Harris County (16.8%). Adults in Montgomery County are most likely among the three counties to have some college education without a four-year degree (27.9%).

Educational attainment beyond high school has been increasing, however. Between 1990 and 2023, the percentage of adults without a high school diploma decreased by 14.6 percentage points across the U.S., 14.2 points in Texas, and 9.8 points in the three-county area.

Across the Houston region, the share of adults 25 years and older without a high school diploma has also steadily declined, but gaps remain between counties. Harris County has consistently had the highest percentage of residents aged 25 and older without a high school diploma. While its rate was once below the Texas average, it has surpassed the state since 2000. As of 2023, 16.8% of Harris County adults lack a high school diploma, compared to 13.7% statewide. Still, Harris County has made progress, with an 8.3-percentage-point decrease since 1990. Montgomery County has seen the largest improvement, cutting its rate by 14.2 points to 10.3% in 2023—nearly matching the national average of 10.2%. Fort Bend County, which has consistently had the region’s lowest share of adults without a diploma, also saw significant gains, decreasing by 11.3 points over the same period.

Additionally, between 1990 and 2023, the share of residents with bachelor’s degree or higher saw the greatest increase improving by 19.2 percentage points in Fort Bend County, 8.8 points in Harris, and 19.9 points in Montgomery County. 

Educational attainment rates are unequal across race, ethnicity and gender

Because of a lengthy history of discriminatory practices since the nation’s founding, which have been exacerbated by present-day imbalances, levels of educational attainment in the United States vary greatly by race/ethnicity. The three-county region is no exception, and these disparities are the direct and intended result of harmful policies, compounded over decades and are not related to any group’s intrinsic talents or priorities.

Asian Americans — a group of people originating from about 50 different countries with distinct political and immigration histories — report the highest levels of education at the national, state, and regional levels. However, it is important to note that there is significant variation even within this large population. According to a 2025 report from the Pew Research Center, 77% of Indian Americans and 58% of Chinese Americans have a bachelor’s degree, while only 20% of Bhutanese and 18% of Laotians do. Chinese (22%) and Indian (21%) Americans make up the largest Asian-American origin group in the United States. Comparatively, Bhutanese and Laotians make up about 1% of the population each. This difference contributes to the high levels of educational attainment for Asian Americans in the state.

In Fort Bend County, 43.5% of Black adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher — 17 percentage points higher than the national average for Black adults (26.3%). However, that figure falls to 29.4% in Harris County, a rate on par with that of Texas overall, according to 2023 estimates.

Consistent with national trends, Hispanic/Latino adults in the Houston area report lower levels of educational attainment. In all three counties, Hispanics have the highest proportion of those without a high school diploma at 18.2% in Fort Bend County, 32.4% in Harris County, and 27.4% in Montgomery County . For comparison, the national average is 26.6%.

Because the general terms “Hispanic” or ”Latino” are used to describe a group of people who originate from a wide variety of Spanish-speaking or Latin American countries, and who understand their identity in different ways, the diversity within that broad group can often go unnoticed. Similar to Asian Americans, the educational attainment varies within this broader group. The latest data available from the Pew Research Center shows that 57% of Venezuelans and 46% of Argentines have at least bachelor’s degree compared to 13% of Salvadorans and 11% of Guatemalans.

As educational attainment levels within each racial/ethnic group have increased in the three-county area, so have high school diploma attainment rates. Between 2000 and 20123, the percentage of residents in Fort Bend and Harris counties with a high school diploma increased the most for Hispanics, rising by 26.7 and 25.0 percentage points, respectively. In Montgomery County, Black residents with a high school diploma increased by 24.1 points.

In 2005, for the first time in the nation’s history, women were more likely than men to have an education beyond a high school diploma. By 2023, across the United States, 66.0% of women had some post-secondary education compared to 61.5% of men.

We see the trend of women being more likely to pursue and attain higher education in Houston’s three-county region and in Texas overall.

Across Texas in 2000, women lagged behind men in the share of the population with a post-secondary education. However, by 2010, the share of women in the state with post-secondary education matched that of men. As of 2023, 63.9% of women in Texas have postsecondary education compared to 60.3% of men. Women have continued their progress in postsecondary educational attainment, increasing 14.1 percentage points between 2000 and 2019 compared to an 8.3-percentage-point increase among men. These statewide trends are also seen in Fort Bend, Harris, and Montgomery counties.

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Early Childhood Education in Houston

Pre-K and kindergarten enrollment rates rebound in Fort Bend and Montgomery counties after pandemic losses, but Harris County still lags. 

Following sharp declines during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, early childhood education enrollment in Fort Bend and Montgomery counties has not only rebounded but now exceeds pre-pandemic levels. In contrast, Harris County has yet to recover, continuing a decade-long trend of declining enrollment in early education programs.

The data

Texas spends half as much per child enrolled in pre-K than the national average

According to the National Institute for Early Education’s 2023 State of Preschool Yearbook, Texas ranks 34^th in state spending, and as of 2023, the national average of spending per pre-K student was double what Texas spends. Through the passage of HB3 in 2019, an estimated $835 million in additional state funding was provided for early childhood education programs.

Between 2018–19 and 2020–21, Texas significantly increased pre-K spending, with a nearly 50% rise in 2020–21, marking its largest increase since at least 2003. Yet, Texas’ per-child spending remained 40% lower than the national average. This funding gap has widened since 2020–21, with Texas’ pre-K spending per child decreasing by 35% through 2022–23 (latest available as of May 2025) to $4,235—half the national average.

More than 90% of Houston-area pre-K students are enrolled in full-day programs

Is pre-K free in Houston? Texas, like most states, does not offer universal early childhood education. However, children are eligible for free pre-K programs if they are unable to speak and comprehend English, are economically disadvantaged, are experiencing homelessness, or are in foster care. Children from military families are also eligible for free pre-K programs if they have a parent in active military service or who was killed/injured in service or a parent who received the Star of Texas Award.

In Texas, pre-kindergarten operates differently by school district as well. Some districts operate their own pre-K programs, while other districts contract with facilities, such as local child care centers, to provide their pre-K programs.

The number of pre-K programs in the three-county area increased to 617 in 2023–24 from 550 in 2015–16. Since the 2015–16 school year, the number of pre-K programs has continued to increase across the Houston region with the largest increase occurring between the 2019–20 and 2021–22 school years when an additional 35 programs were added. The Houston area has had a net-gain of 67 pre-K programs, an 11% increase since 2015–16.

In 2019, Texas passed House Bill 3 (HB3) which primarily focused on school financing, but it also sought changes to the delivery of early education. It required that all prekindergarten programs offered to eligible four-year-olds must be full-day, and program meet the high-quality requirements set by House Bill 4.

High-quality pre-K for the full day has added benefits over a shorter-day program, particularly for low-income children. Students from low-income families who attended a full-day pre-K program had higher scores on readiness assessments and better attendance.⁸ 

Fort Bend saw the largest gains in full-day pre-K enrollment immediately following the passage of HB3, increasing by 56 percentage points from 19% in 2018–19 to 75% in 2019–20 . Full-day pre-K enrollment has also increased in Harris and Montgomery counties. In the 2023–24 school year, Montgomery County had 100% full-day pre-K enrollment, and Fort Bend County had over 90%, and Harris County had 93%.

Pre-kindergarten enrollment in Fort Bend and Montgomery counties rebound from pandemic losses

Students who attend pre-K can join a public program or a private program. About half of students enrolled in pre-K in Fort Bend, 60% in Harris County, and 57% in Montgomery County attend a public program, according to 2023 American Community Survey data.

A study from the Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) found that while families considered many factors in deciding whether to enroll their children in pre-K, the distance of the program is among the most influential.

Pre-K enrollment in public schools in the three-county region reached a decade low in 2020–21 when there were 37,606 students enrolled. As of the 2023–24 school year, pre-K enrollment numbers have rebounded in Fort Bend and Montgomery counties but still lag in Harris County and across Texas.

In the past decade between 2013–14 and 2023–24, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties have seen significant growth in pre-K enrollment increasing by 75% and 36%, respectively. Texas has experienced a smaller increase over this period with enrollment numbers increasing by 4%. Harris County experienced a decrease of 15% in pre-K enrollment.

According to the 2023 State of Preschool Yearbook released by the National Institute for Early Education Research, Texas ranks 14^th in pre-K access for three-year-olds and 10^th in pre-K access for four-year-olds among the 50 states. In the 2022–23 school year, 19% of three-year-olds and 58% of four-year-olds living in the state were enrolled in public pre-K programs. This is above the national rate of 17% of three-year-olds and 46% of four-year-olds.

Fort Bend County began offering pre-K to three-year-olds in 2020–21, enrolling slightly over 80 students that year, while Montgomery County had no three-year-olds in pre-K. In 2023–24, three-year-olds comprised 14% of pre-K enrollment in Harris County, compared to 18% statewide. The lack of programs is a lost opportunity, especially for students with special educational needs, English language learner students, and low-income families. A report on HISD schools by the Kinder Institute’s Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) found that “students who received two years of pre-K education had a greater likelihood of school readiness than those who only got one.”

One way to measure if early education is reaching the intended population is to compare the number of first-grade students who would have been identified as eligible to attend pre-K with the number of students who actually attended pre-K two school years prior. For example, first graders in 2023–24 would have attended pre–K as four-year-olds in 2021–22.

Using the 2023–24 first-grade student data to determine pre-K eligibility, 68% of eligible four-year-olds in Harris County were enrolled in a public pre-K program in 2021–22. In Montgomery County, 61% of eligible students attended pre-K in 2021–22, and in Fort Bend that number was 36%.

Following the 2019–20 school year, there was a decrease in the rate of first graders (two years later) who were eligible for and attended pre-K during that school year. This rate went down by 15 points in Fort Bend County, 22 points in Harris County, 13 points in Montgomery County, and 21 points across the state. Between 2020–21 and 2021–22 this rate increased for all geographies except Fort Bend County where it fell an additional 10 points.

The Houston three-county region has a higher rate of pre-K English-language learners compared to the state

Because of eligibility requirements, almost all public pre-kindergarten students at Texas public schools are economically disadvantaged. In the 2023–24 school year, 83% of students enrolled in Texas public pre-K programs were classified as economically disadvantaged.

In the 2023–24 school year, 87% of students enrolled in Houston’s three-county area public pre-K programs were classified as economically disadvantaged, on par with the state. Additionally, 51% of the region’s pre-K public school students were English language learners (14 points higher than the state), and 6% were served by special education programs.

Across Texas, the majority (62%) of children enrolled in free pre-K programs are Hispanic. Black and white children are enrolled almost equally at 15% and 14%, respectively, while 5% of students are Asian American and 3% are multiracial.

A similar pattern exists regionally, but with considerable variations across counties, reflecting their respective racial/ethnic compositions. Given the extent to which race/ethnicity correlates with income and that pre-K programs are targeted to reach economically disadvantaged students, in 2023–24 in the three-county area, 61% of students are Hispanic, 22% are Black, 8% are white, 7% are Asian American, and 2% are multiracial. Consistent with the overall demographic composition of the counties, Montgomery County has a significantly higher share of white children enrolled in pre-K (23%), and Fort Bend County sees a much higher percentage of Asian-American students (21%).

Kindergarten enrollment dips in Harris County but climbs in Fort Bend and Montgomery

Just as pre-K has been shown to have benefits to the child, so has kindergarten. Students who attend high-quality kindergarten enjoy a variety of academic and social-emotional boosts. According to established research, “the years from birth to age 5 are viewed as a critical period for developing the foundations for thinking, behaving, and emotional well-being.”⁹ Furthermore, providing high-quality education prior to students starting the first grade has substantial medium- and long-term benefits. Students are less likely to repeat a grade and are more prepared academically as they get older.¹⁰

In Texas, children who are five years old on or before September 1 are eligible, but not required, to attend kindergarten that year. Kindergarten at a Texas public school may be provided for half a day or a full day at the discretion of the district’s school board.

Kindergarten enrollment declined during the pandemic between 2019–20 and 2020–21, falling by 6–7% in each Houston-area county and the state. Although enrollment rebounded in 2021–22, it has since continued to decline in both Harris County and across Texas overall. As of the 2023–24 school year, Harris County has even fewer kindergarteners than it did in 2020–21—continuing a decade-long trend of decline. Over the past 10 years, Harris County has seen a 15% decrease in kindergarten enrollment, with Texas overall down 8% in the same period.

Fort Bend and Montgomery counties have been experiencing the opposite trend where kindergarten enrollment has steadily grown, not only recovering from pandemic-era losses but also surpassing pre-pandemic levels. From 2013–14 to 2023–24, Fort Bend saw a 17% increase and Montgomery experienced a 20% jump. Notably, this upward trend in enrollment aligns with the population growth these counties have experienced during the same period.

Kindergarten students in the Houston area come from diverse backgrounds

In the 2023–24 school year, of the 73,295kindergarteners enrolled in Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties’ public schools, nearly 70% were considered economically disadvantaged, with Harris County’s rate being the highest at 71%. Over one-third of students enrolled in the three-county region were classified as English language learners (ELLs) and 10% were provided with special education services. Fort Bend and Montgomery counties have a lower percentage of students who are economically disadvantaged and who are ELLs compared to Harris County. Between 2019–20 and 2023–24, the percentage of kindergarten students in these categories have increased in each county and the state. The share of economically disadvantaged and ELL kindergartens each increased by about 6 percentage points in Fort Bend and Montgomery counties.

In the 2023–24 school year, the majority of kindergarteners in Texas public schools were Hispanic (53%), followed by white students (25%).

Across the three-county area, 52% of kindergarteners enrolled were Hispanic, 19% were white, and 18% were Black. Fort Bend County had the largest percentage of Asian-American kindergarteners (20%) in 2023–24 school year, while Montgomery County had the largest share of white kindergarteners (41%). Harris County has the highest percentage of Hispanic kindergarteners in the region at 56%.

Kindergarten readiness rates rebound post-pandemic

Some kindergartners enrolled in the Texas public school system are assessed on the Commissioner’s List of Reading Instruments, an inventory of the skills necessary for continued literacy development. Students must pass all required assessment domains to be considered kindergarten-ready. More than half (52%) of Texas students who took the assessment at the beginning of the year met or exceeded the proficiency cut-off score.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, kindergarten readiness assessment rates were historically lowest in Montgomery County (31% in 2019–20) compared to Harris County (90%) and Fort Bend County (96%). However, during the first full school year of the pandemic (2020–21), assessment rates soared by 53 percentage points in Montgomery County as rates declined in Fort Bend and Harris counties, and statewide. Since then, Montgomery County has maintained the highest assessment rates in the region. Fort Bend County’s assessment rates have recovered to pre-pandemic levels, while Texas as a whole has surpassed them. In Harris County, kindergarten readiness assessment rates still haven’t fully recovered.

During the 2020–21 school year, the share of kindergarten students considered kindergarten-ready increased by 25 percentage points in Fort Bend and Harris counties compared to the prior year, likely due in some part to the significant decreases in kindergarten readiness assessment rates. After the pandemic, kinder-readiness rates rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in Fort Bend County (similar to their assessment rates), and as of the 2023–24 school year, kinder-ready rates are still 15 percentage points higher in Harris County than they were during the 2019–20 school year. Kinder-ready rates between the 2017–18 and 2023–24 school years increased by 5 points in Montgomery County, 14 points in Harris County, and 26 points in Fort Bend County.

Read about educational attainment, academic outcomes, and post-secondary education in Houston

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• Using Science and Evidence To Drive Investments in Early Childhood

Population, Diversity and Immigration in Houston

One of the strongest forces to shape the region, Houston’s diverse population is also its greatest asset.

In the last decade, the population in Houston’s three-county region — due to strong levels of international and domestic migration — grew substantially and became far more diverse.

The data

Nearly 6.5 million people call the Houston-area home

Harris County covers 1,777 square miles in the region, followed by Montgomery County with 1,077 square miles coverage, and Fort Bend County with 885 square miles. Together, the three counties cover 40% of the nine-county Houston-Sugar Land-The Woodlands Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).¹

How many Houstonians are there, and where do they live? Houston’s three-county region has a total population of nearly 6.5 million that accounts for 86% of the Houston MSA population.

Each county has witnessed remarkable population surges over the past few decades. In Fort Bend County, the population doubled over the last two decades, reaching nearly 920,000 in 2023. Montgomery County’s population also doubled, soaring from 294,000 in 2000 to 710,000 in 2023. In Harris County, the most populous county in the region and the state, the population climbed above 4.8 million.

This recent population growth is a part of a robust historical trend. Since 1980, Greater Houston’s population growth has consistently outpaced national and statewide trends. Fort Bend and Montgomery counties, in particular, have emerged as leaders, regularly recording growth rates that are double or even triple those observed in Harris County and Texas. The implications of this sustained population growth are profound, shaping Houston into a national power player and propelling economic growth in the region.

In the most recent decade, 2013 to 2023, population growth rates have stayed the same in our region and continues to outpace national growth. During this decade, population increased by 41% in Fort Bend County, 12% in Harris County, and 43% in Montgomery County compared to a 15% growth across the state and 6% across the nation.

Houston’s racial/ethnic composition continues to be diverse

Since 2000, the racial composition of Greater Houston’s population has changed significantly. The number of Hispanic and Asian-American residents has boomed, propelling the region into one of the most ethnically diverse in the country.

In each of Houston’s three counties, the number of residents that identify as people of color (non-white) grew faster than the population of white residents. This has driven the profound demographic change that the Houston area has undergone over the last few decades.

In 2023, Asian American (22.2%), Black (21.2%), and Hispanic (24.8%) residents comprised two-thirds of Fort Bend County’s population. White people, comprising less than one-third of the county’s total population, grew steadily, but slower compared to other racial/ethnic groups. While Fort Bend County’s Hispanic and Black population grew by over 50%, the Asian-American population doubled in size between 2010 and 2023.

Harris County has been majority-people-of-color since 2000, and recent data show that people of color continue to propel the county’s growth. Hispanics have been the largest ethnic group since 2010, and by 2023 they comprised 44.1% of the total population. Since 2010, the county has seen the most growth in the Asian American (42.5%) population, with more modest growths in its Black (21.6%) and Hispanic (27.5%) populations. Notably, Harris County is the only county in Greater Houston where the number of white residents declined between 2010 and 2023.

With 710,000 residents in 2023, Montgomery County’s population has doubled over the last two decades. While the county remains mostly white (57.8%) — with its Hispanic (28.3%), Black (7.0%) and Asian American (3.2%) populations making up nearly two-fifths of the county’s total population in 2023 — Montgomery County has experienced incredible growth in Asian-American (145.4%), Hispanic (112.3%) and Black (170.0%) populations between 2010 and 2023.

In Houston’s three-county area at large, the vast majority (80%) of children under five are people of color, indicating that Greater Houston will continue to become more racially diverse over time. Fort Bend County shows a somewhat-even distribution of races/ethnicities in this age group. A vast majority of Harris County’s youngest population are people of color (82%). In contrast, nearly half of children under five in Montgomery County are white (47%), a similar proportion to the country overall, and over a third are Hispanic.

Houston’s three-county region population soars 142% over four decades

Analyzing population distribution by age group provides a clearer picture of population change by revealing which age groups are driving growth and informing how resources should be allocated to address emerging needs.

While Houston’s population boomed during the 2010s, the growth between 2013–2023 was uneven among age groups. Notably, older adults (65 and older) saw the greatest percentage increase in Fort Bend, Harris, and Montgomery counties. The growth among older adults in Fort Bend was especially pronounced, soaring 105%.

While older adult populations had the largest growth, there were age-specific disparities within racial groups. In Fort Bend County, the number of children of color under five increased by 30%, while the number of non-Hispanic white children in the same age group decreased. In Harris County, the number of children under 5 decreased overall while children ages 5 to 17 and adults ages 18 to 64 who are non-Hispanic white decreased and those who are people of color increased. This trend is very similar to what occurred across Texas during the same time frame and matches trends in population growth by age at the national level. Montgomery County’s overall, non-Hispanic white, and people of color populations increased across all age groups with people of color increasing the most within each age group.

Population in Greater Houston could double to 12 million by 2050

Analyzing population growth by age group provides insights into the region’s demographic future. Population projections are used to make decisions about how to prepare for future demand and needs for resources like food, water, energy, housing, and services. By analyzing how Houston’s population grew the last few decades, we better understand what the impacts of that growth will be.

The following are demographic forecasts for Houston’s three major counties. By 2050,

• Fort Bend County is projected to reach over 2 million people with a demographic breakdown of 40% Asian, 24.9% Hispanic, 22.2% white, and 12.9% Black.
• Harris County is projected to reach almost 8 million people with demographic breakdown of 42.4% Hispanic, 20.8% white, 19.5% Asian/Other, and 17.6% Black.
• Montgomery County is projected to reach 1.5 million people with a demographic breakdown of 41% white, 40% Hispanic, 13.3% Asian/Other, and 7.7% Black.

Immigration in Houston drives population growth

What is driving Houston’s population growth? Generally, the primary drivers of population growth are the result of three factors: levels of fertility, mortality, and migration. Simply put, our population would grow as long as the number of births exceeds the number of deaths — this is known as the natural population increase. Migration, on the other hand, measures the movement of people from one area to another, and net migration measures the difference between the number of people who move into and out-of an area. Migration can be domestic, referring to the migration of people within the United States, or international, which refers to the movement of people across national borders.

From 2010 to 2023, population growth in Fort Bend and Montgomery counties was largely driven by domestic migration. In Fort Bend, natural changes in population accounted for an additional 75,000 people, while 203,000 people moved into the county from elsewhere in the United States. In Montgomery County, natural changes in population resulted in an additional 44,300 residents, while 193,100 people moved to the county from elsewhere in the United States.

The story is different in Harris County. Overall, net migration was positive from 2010-2016 but became negative almost entirely due to the drop in domestic migration. In fact, net migration was consistently negative in Harris County between 2017 and 2021 rebounding once again in 2022 solely because of international migration as net domestic migration has been negative in Harris County since 2016. From 2010 to 2023, natural changes in population resulted in an additional 532,900 Houstonians, while 378,000 people moved into the county from outside of the United States.

Immigrants comprise a larger share of the Houston area than the nation overall

The Houston area owes much of its economic success and cultural vibrancy to the immigrants who have made this region their home. While categorized under one label, the “immigrant population” comprises people who were born outside the United States (foreign born), including naturalized citizens, legal permanent residents, temporary residents, and unauthorized immigrants.

More than one in four individuals living in the Houston three-county region are immigrants. Among the three counties, Fort Bend County is home to the highest share of immigrants (31%) with Montgomery County home to the lowest (17%). For the past few decades, Houston’s immigrant community has grown at a faster rate than the U.S.-born population, and this trend is showing no sign of slowing in Fort Bend.

The number of new Americans rebound to pre-pandemic numbers

What are naturalized citizens? When a foreign-born resident becomes naturalized, they become a legal citizen of the United States and now have the same constitutional rights and civic responsibilities as a native-born citizen, including eligibility to vote. To become a naturalized citizen, immigrants must meet certain requirements, including completing a five-year period of lawful permanent residence, demonstrating basic proficiency in English, U.S. history, and civics, and passing a background check. Naturalized citizens tend to have higher incomes and rates of homeownership compared to non-citizens.²²

The number of residents achieving lawful permanent resident status in Texas and the Houston MSA has declined sharply after peaking in The number of residents achieving lawful permanent resident status in Texas and the nine-county Houston Metro Area has rebounded after a sharp decline in 2020. The same is true for the number of residents becoming naturalized citizens with current numbers surpassing what we have seen in the last two decades. These trends mirror national trends where in 2022 the number of U.S. residents becoming naturalized citizens was the third highest on record.

Most unauthorized immigrants in the Houston-area have lived in the country for five or more years

How many unauthorized immigrants are in the U.S.? About 11 million unauthorized immigrants reside in the nation, representing about 24% of the total immigrant population in the U.S. About 16% of the nation’s unauthorized immigrant population — around 1.7 million — live in Texas. 

How many unauthorized immigrants are in Houston? The Migration Policy Institute estimated in 2021 (most recent available as of publication) that 481,000 unauthorized immigrants live in Harris County, 39,000 in Fort Bend County, and 28,000 in the area of Montgomery, Chambers, and Liberty counties. Harris County is home to the second largest unauthorized immigrant community in the nation — Los Angeles County leads the nation with 951,000 unauthorized immigrants.

Most unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. and Texas have lived in the country for five or more years. The share of undocumented immigrants by years of residence is about evenly distributed across Houston’s three-county area. Fort Bend County has the highest proportion of undocumented immigrants who entered the country in the last five years (30%), while Montgomery County has the highest proportion of unauthorized immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for 20 or more years (25%). Harris County, meanwhile, has the highest proportion of unauthorized immigrants who have lived in the county for 10-14 years (19%).

The distribution of the unauthorized community by age is fairly consistent across the U.S., Texas, and Houston’s three-county area. Most unauthorized residents — 55% — range from 25 to 44 years old. The smallest groups of unauthorized immigrants are under the age of 16 and over the age of 55.

Where are most unauthorized immigrants in Houston from? People from Mexico and Central America are the majority of unauthorized immigrants in Houston’s three-county region. In Fort Bend County, 35% of unauthorized immigrants come from Asia (compared to 15% nationally), and in Montgomery County 85% of unauthorized immigrants hail from Mexico or Central America.

More than 140 languages are spoken in the Houston area

One of the main ways in which diversity in Houston manifests itself is in the number of languages spoken in the region. Houstonians are multi-linguistic: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Hindi are all spoken at high rates.

Other than English, the most commonly spoken language across Houston’s three-county region is Spanish. Following Spanish, the most commonly spoken languages are Vietnamese, Chinese, and other Indo-European languages, such as French, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Russian, Urdu, etc. Fort Bend County has the greatest linguistic diversity of Houston’s three counties.

The Houston region is diverse, but is it integrated?

While the Houston area is remarkably diverse, this diversity alone does not necessarily guarantee meaningful interaction between residents of different backgrounds. Historically, the United States’ major cities — including Houston — were highly segregated. Residents of different racial and ethnic backgrounds can not interact and connect with each other if they are forcefully separated by exclusionary zoning codes, interstate highways, and social stigma. While explicit segregation is illegal, we continue to see its impact in the make-up of our modern neighborhoods. 

The fractionalization index uses population data to measure the likelihood that two random people in a given area will be of a different race or ethnicity. Scores range from 0 to 1, with 0 indicating that two randomly chosen people belong to the same ethnic group, and one indicating maximum diversity (a 100% chance that two randomly chosen people are of different racial/ethnic backgrounds).

In 2023, Fort Bend County had the highest level of racial/ethnic mixture in Houston’s three major counties, scoring a 0.76 in the fractionalization index. Harris County scored a 0.7, while Montgomery County scored a 0.58, reflecting a lower probability that two randomly selected individuals in the areas will belong to different racial or ethnic groups. Neighborhoods in both Fort Bend and Harris counties exhibit more racial and ethnic plurality than the average American and Texan neighborhood (0.62 and 0.67, respectively).

Fort Bend, Harris, and Montgomery counties scored higher on the fractionalization index in 2023 than in 2010, indicating these places grew more diverse in the last decade. Fort Bend County’s score increased from 0.74 to 0.76; Harris County’s from 0.69 to 0.70; and Montgomery County saw the greatest increase, jumping from 0.45 to 0.58 in the fractionalization index.

Nearly 210,000 veterans live in Houston’s three-county region

A veteran is a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. As of 2023, there are nearly 16 million veterans in the United States. Texas is home to the largest number of veterans with 1.4 million in the state.

Nearly 210,000 veterans live in Houston’s three-county region, with the greatest concentration of vets in Montgomery County (6.6%). About 4% of the population in Fort Bend and Harris counties are vets.

Compared to non-veterans, veterans are about twice as likely to have a disability, and they are half as likely to live below the poverty threshold.

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• Houston is Vibrant
• Houston is Changing
• Key insights from our webinar on housing inequities
• Houston’s Three-county Region Accounts For a Quarter of Texas’ Population Growth