Houston is a large city.
Houston, the fourth-largest metropolis in the United States, is known for its vast, crowded, industrial, and expanding metropolis. Residents make an inside joke about its immensity, referring to it as “an hour away from Houston.” The city’s population growth and diverse industries contribute to its significant impact on the region. If you want to travel to the city to see a variety of attractions, you may find inexpensive DTW flights to Houston.
Qualification of Houston’s “big-ness”
The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) estimates the combined size of Houston and its satellite cities, encompassing the three-county region and the nine-county Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land area.
The Houston MSA, covering 9,444 square miles, includes counties like Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller. With 7.2 million citizens, it would have the 15th highest population in the country if it were a state. The MSA includes over 100 incorporated cities and 40 unincorporated communities, including Baytown, Fulshear, La Porte, and Prairie View.
Harris County, with 1,778 square miles, accommodates American cities like Austin, Boston, and Seattle, offering expansion opportunities and a larger region than many other major cities.
Sprawl contributes to food deserts and longer-than-average commuting times.
Houston’s extensive suburbia contributes to its classic quip of being an hour distant from the city. These outlying areas offer affordable homes but also have commuting times and a decline in urban investment.
Houston faces significant challenges in commute times due to urban traffic, congestion, construction, long distances, and limited public transportation beyond the 610 Loop.
Houston’s commute times are longer than the typical American, as Houstonians are less likely to carpool, resulting in longer travel times than the American average. Despite the 76% national average, 79% of workers commuted alone in 2017.
Food deserts in Houston’s urban districts, such as Fifth Ward, Third Ward, Sunnyside, and Acres Homes, may develop due to suburban growth. These areas struggle to access fresh, reasonably priced produce due to a lack of grocery shops or expensive travel. Residents may turn to convenience stores, dollar stores, and fast food restaurants, leading to higher obesity, heart disease, and diabetes incidences.
The enormous and diverse population of Greater Houston
Houston, once considered the most diverse area in America, offers an anthropological snapshot of the future. With over two-thirds of the population being people of color, Houston has contributed to 95% of Texas’s population growth in the past ten years.
Harris County has a significant Hispanic/Latinos population, with 2 million people living in the area. In 2020, the region had a 39% Hispanic population, with a 26% expansion in Latino population between 2010 and 2020.
Americans, particularly Asian Americans, make up the largest populations in the three-county region, with Indian and Vietnamese Americans being the largest. These areas hold significant cultural and economic significance, with Mahatma Gandhi District and Little Saigon preserving their rich cultural legacy through grassroots efforts, independent shops, and local cuisine.
Rising income disparities
Greater Houston faces income inequality, with wealth inequality increasing over the past fifty years despite an increase in wealth. The wealth of American families in the top 90% of income distribution has increased five-fold, while the bottom 10% of earnings has decreased from zero to around $1,000 in debt. Despite the region’s variety, income inequality persists in Houston.
Houston faces significant income inequality in the United States, with gender and ethnic pay gaps growing. In 2017, male employees earned $10,000 more annually than female colleagues. Fort Bend and Montgomery Counties have larger pay disparities, with women earning $15,137 and $20,555 less than men, respectively. So why wait? Start planning your trip to Houston now book a flight from Detroit to Houston and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Read More: Reason to Relocate to Houston
