Harris County, Texas

Harris County is a county located in the state of Texas. As of 2000, the population is 3,400,578. Its county seat is Houston⁶. Harris County is named for John Richardson Harris , an early settler of the area. The county holds the principal city of the Houston Metropolitan Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,604 km² (1,778 mi²). 4,478 km² (1,729 mi²) of it is land and 127 km² (49 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.75% water.

Adjacent counties

• Montgomery County (north)
• Liberty County (northeast)
• Chambers County (east)
• Galveston County (southeast)
• Brazoria County (south)
• Fort Bend County (southwest)
• Waller County (northwest)

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 3,400,578 people, 1,205,516 households, and 834,217 families residing in the county. The population density is 759/km² (1,967/mi²). There are 1,298,130 housing units at an average density of 290/km² (751/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 58.73% White, 18.49% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 5.14% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 14.18% from other races, and 2.96% from two or more races. 32.93% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 1,205,516 households out of which 37.70% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.60% are married couples living together, 13.70% have a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% are non-families. 25.10% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.30% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.79 and the average family size is 3.38.

In the county, the population is spread out with 29.00% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 33.40% from 25 to 44, 19.80% from 45 to 64, and 7.40% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 99.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 97.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county is $42,598, and the median income for a family is $49,004. Males have a median income of $37,361 versus $28,941 for females. The per capita income for the county is $21,435. 15.00% of the population and 12.10% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 19.60% of those under the age of 18 and 12.20% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Cities and towns

Original Communities of Houston-Harris County

This list does not include subdivisions or neighborhoods. Some communities listed below are now "neighborhoods" but were once independent of Houston, incorporated or not.

External links

• Harris County government’s website
• Harris County in Handbook of Texas Online at the University of Texas