The population in six Greater Houston-area counties grew between 3% to 19% between 2018-23, according to five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

The overview

The 2023 results, which were released Dec. 12, show Montgomery and Waller counties’ populations grew over 18%, followed by Fort Bend County with over 16% between the 2023 and 2018 five-year estimates. Meanwhile, Harris County’s population grew 3.39% in the same time period.Across the six counties, the Houston area grew by 431,463 residents in the five-year period.

Zooming in

Census data shows the demographics across the counties are becoming more diverse, with the white resident population dropping over the five years. According to the data, the Hispanic or Latino population saw growth among all six counties, while the Black or African American population saw growth in all counties minus Galveston County, where there was a 0.4 percentage-point decrease.In Harris County, the Hispanic or Latino population continues to lead the area’s demographics, while Fort Bend County saw a 1.9 percentage-point increase in its Asian population—its third largest demographic behind white and Hispanic or Latino residents.Digging deeper

The percentage of residents age 80 and older grew in all six counties, while the 60 to 79 age range also grew in all the counties except in Brazoria County, according to the data.Additionally, the school-age population dropped approximately .75% in all six counties with Waller with 2.43 percentage-point decrease. Fort Bend County has the highest percentage of school-age residents, or those ages 0 to 19.