Houston Adds 126,720 Residents, the Most of Any US Metro
The region grew by more people than any other metro in the country, and its suburbs are among the fastest-growing counties in America.
Chart: Price Per Door, from U.S. Census Bureau estimates data.
- 126,720 new residents, July 2024 to July 2025
- Metro population of about 7.9 million, growing 1.6% a year
- Harris County passed 5 million and led all U.S. counties in numeric growth
- Montgomery and Fort Bend counties ranked 4th and 8th nationally
Greater Houston added 126,720 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, the largest numeric gain of any metro in the United States, according to Census Bureau estimates reported by InnovationMap. The 10-county region grew 1.6% to about 7.9 million people.
Every county is growing
Harris County added 48,695 people, about 40% of the region’s growth, and passed 5 million residents for the first time. It led every county in the country in numeric growth and remains the third-largest county in America.
The suburbs grew fast too. Montgomery County, home to The Woodlands and Conroe, added 30,011 residents, the fourth-largest gain of any U.S. county. Fort Bend County, which includes Sugar Land, Missouri City, Richmond and Rosenberg, added 24,163, eighth in the nation. Waller County grew 5.69% and Liberty County 4.4%, both among the fastest percentage growth rates in the country.
A long run of growth
This is not a one-year spike. The region has grown about 39% since 2005 and 9% since 2021. Projections cited in the same report put the metro at about 8.5 million people by 2030 and 9.5 million by 2040.
The latest gain was helped by international migration, including military personnel and Americans returning from abroad, as well as immigrants moving to the region.
Population growth is the foundation of apartment demand. It is why Houston’s absorption has stayed strong even as job growth cools.
Montgomery County (The Woodlands, Conroe, Porter), Fort Bend County (Sugar Land, Richmond, Rosenberg) and Katy.
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Written by Price Per Door from public reports, filings and data. See all sources