Houston: Energy Capital of the World

Houston, located in the south central United States along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, is the fourth most populous city in the United States, with roughly 2.3 million people. Houston is a global center of energy, transportation, finance, aeronautics, health care, education, and research. Houston is also home of NASA’s Mission Control Center at the Johnson Space Center. Houston has a land area of 579 square miles. Houston is named after General Sam Houston, who won the decisive Battle of San Jacinto in 1836, the turning point in the Texas Revolution. Houston was incorporated on June 5, 1837. In the mid 1800’s, Houston was a rail center for cotton shipping, and by the end of the century, was the central rail center of Texas. With the discovery of oil in Texas in the early 1900’s, Houston’s business and economy has grown with the petroleum industry as well as diversified into natural gas and other energy forms.

The Houston Economy: Gushing

Houston is a major global center of energy production and commerce. The city is home to 25 companies listed on the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S companies. In addition to its massive energy base, transportation, finance, aeronautics, health care, government services, general services, education, and research are all drivers of the Houston economy.

Education in Houston: Standing Tall

Educational attainment among the Houston populace is mixed compared with that of the U.S. as a whole. As of 2000, roughly 70% of its residents aged 25 and older had completed high school, lower than the U.S. average, and roughly 27% had completed college, higher than the U.S. average. There are numerous colleges and universities in Houston. The University of Houston system is a well-known public university system in Houston with 60,000 students across four campuses. Among other elite institutions of higher learning in Houston are: Rice University, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and Westwood College.

The Crime Scene in Houston: Worse than Other Large U.S. Cities

Houston is currently experiencing a declining rate of murder and violent crime that are putting it on pace to achieve lowest rates in a decade. However, burglary and auto theft rates are increasing. In general, Houston has higher crime rates for most forms of crime than other large U.S. cities, such as New York and Los Angeles.

The Houston Population and Politics: Diversity Abounds

Houston has a population of approximately 2.3 million people. Its population has been growing at roughly 2.0% per year over the past decade. Houston has a diverse population in which 28% of residents are Hispanic white people, roughly 26% are non-Hispanic whites, 24% are African American, and the balance are from other races. Houston has become equally diverse in its politics in recent years. Among the nearly 1.2 million votes cast in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Houston voters narrowly chose Democratic candidate Barack Obama over Republican candidate John McCain by a ratio of 50%-49%.