The Greater Houston Partnership released Houston Facts 2019, a compilation of data that covers Houston’s demographics, economic growth and more, at a networking and presentation event on Aug. 6.

Patrick Jankowski, senior vice president of research for the Greater Houston Partnership, said the publication has been around for decades and has helped provide an accurate look at changes in Houston year after year.

“When you look at Houston Facts, it’s facts,” Jankowski said. “It’s no spin, no varnish, no tweaking. If you want the unvarnished truth about Houston, you can pull it up in this publication. We want to make sure you have good information so you can make a better-informed decision.”

Below are some highlights from the report, including information about changes in the Houston area’s population, economy and health care. The figures in the report reflect The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metropolitan Statistical Area, which contains nine counties around the city.

Demographics

— The population of the Houston MSA area grew by over 1,000,000 from 2000 to 2018.
— One in four residents of the Houston MSA is foreign-born.
— One in three adults has a bachelor’s degree or higher.
— Out of the country’s 20 most populous cities, Houston is the third most affordable to live in.

Economy

— Over 500,000 new jobs were added in the Houston MSA area since 2008.
— About 82,000 jobs were added in the past 12 months.
— As of June 2019, 3.2 million people were employed in the Houston MSA.
— The Houston MSA has a GDP of $490 billion, making it the seventh largest U.S. metro economy.

Health care

— The Texas Medical Center has about 10 million patient visits per year.
— The TMC is the eighth largest business district in the country with a GDP of about $25 billion.
— The employment rate in the health care industry grew 39% in the last decade.
— The healthcare industry employs nearly one out of every eight Houstonians.