INTRODUCTION

THE HOUSTON REGION

THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

Houston Facts. The title says much about this publication. No spin. No frills. No hyperbole. Just page after page of straightforward information from hundreds of sources to answer questions frequently asked about the Houston region.

Houston Facts has presented unvarnished information about the Houston region since 1959, and its predecessor publications—under different names, but with the same objective—date back to 1906. Over the decades, Houston Facts has grown well beyond its original four pages so that we could expand the range and depth of coverage, bringing you more information about parks, museums, schools, living costs, the regional economy and a host of other topics. It has evolved into a concise almanac for the Houston region. Corporate planners, market analysts, students, relocation and site selection consultants, real estate professionals, government agencies and myriad others turn to it for authoritative information on this region.

Of course, we believe the Houston region is one of the nation’s most attractive major metropolitan areas—an outstanding place to live, work and build a business. We would like you to share that view. But we won’t try to persuade you. The facts need no embellishment. They speak for themselves. You may find in these pages facts that you never knew about the Houston region. For example:

Nearly 1.7 million Houstonians, or roughly one in four, were born outside the U.S.

If Houston were a country, it would rank as the 27th largest economy in the world—exceeding Austria’s and Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product.

Metro Houston has the third largest number of Fortune 500 companies in the nation.

Houston is home to more than 8,800 techrelated firms, including more than 800 venturebacked startups. These companies have received more than $4.35 billion in venture capital funding over the past five years.