Harris County, Texas
Located in Texas, Harris County has a population of 4,838,303 residents and a median age of 34.6 years, making it the #3 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.3%. The median home value is $276,600, and the median household income is $74,983, which is 0% below the national median.
Demographics
Harris County has a population of 4,838,303, making it the #3 most populous county in the US. The median age is 34.6 years, which is 11.1% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Harris County is $74,983, ranking #842 out of 3,222 counties — 0.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.3% and unemployment stands at 6.7%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Harris County is $276,600 (-1.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,401/mo and the homeownership rate is 54.7%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Harris County, 34.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 1.6% above the national average, ranking #508 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Harris County is 77.3 years. 24.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 22.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
15.8% of adults in Harris County smoke , 35.2% are obese , and 17.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 21.4 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Harris County is 10.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.6 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
22.4% of children in Harris County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.8 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 22.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Harris County is 59.5%. The mean commute time is 32.1 min, which is 16.2% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Harris County voted Democratic with a margin of 5.6%. The vote was 52% Dem / 46.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Harris County, Texas
Harris County, Texas has a total population of 4,838,303, making it the 3rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Harris County is 34.6 years, which is 11.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Harris County is $74,983, which ranks #842 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 0.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.3%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.7%.
The median home value in Harris County is $276,600, 1.9% below the national median. Renters in Harris County pay a median gross rent of $1,401 per month. The homeownership rate is 54.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Harris County, 34.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 1.6% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 79.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.1 min.
Harris County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 44.0% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (26.6%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (18.6%).
All data for Harris County, Texas comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.