Despite counties nationwide seeing a slowing growth rate, the Greater Houston area is experiencing the opposite, per recent data from the US Census Bureau.
The gist
The data examines population changes within the time frame of July 2024 to July 2025. According to the Census Bureau, the most populous counties saw more births than deaths and more people moving out than moving in from other areas of the country.
However, the Greater Houston area is still experiencing population growth, particularly in suburban areas.
George M. Hayward said in a news release from the bureau, that the nation’s largest counties, such as those in the New York metro area, are often international migration hubs. They gain many international migrants but lose people to other parts of the country through domestic migration, causing counties to lose their population.
Digging deeperThe data showed the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro area experienced the most population growth of major U.S. metropolitan areas, with a numeric growth of 126,720 people. On July 1, 2025, the population was about 7.9 million compared to about 7.78 million on July 1, 2024.
Harris County, Montgomery County and Fort Bend County were found to be among the top 10 fastest-growing counties in the state.
From 2024 to 2025, the counties saw the following population increase:
- Harris County: 48,695
- Montgomery County: 30,011
- Fort Bend County: 24,163
