Demographics & Diversity
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AMERICA’S MOST DIVERSE CIT Y Both the New York Times and LA Times have declared Houston “America’s Most Diverse City.” Houston has no ethnic majority and welcomes people from around the world. It has been said that in terms of racial and ethnic composition, the Houston of today resembles what America will look like in 40 years. In 2016, the Houston metro area was home to an estimated 1.6 million foreign-born residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This figure represents 23.2 percent of the metro population, meaning nearly one-in-four Houstonians was born outside of the United States. Also, as a global city, more than 145 languages are spoken here. In fact, four-in-ten Houstonians speak a language other than English at home. This is a fact that shows up in the Houston Independent School District’s dual-language programs that offer immersiveinstruction in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Spanish and several other languages. There is a richness to the fabric of Houston you will not find in many other cities. You will discover that Houstonians
INCLUSIVITY
Languages Other Than English Spoken At Home 2016 Population 5 Years and Over
Population
Percent of Population
English Only
3,816,017
60.9
Language other than English
2,450,491
39.1
1,853,677
29.6
Other Indo-European languages
207,253
3.3
Asian and Pacific Island languages
300,526
4.8
89,035
1.4
Language
Spanish
Other languages
have a sense of shared community, commitment and mutual respect that many American cities are searching for today.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2016 American Community Survey
People from all different faiths, lifestyles, cultures, politics and customs find Houston to be an inclusive and welcoming city. If you’re willing to dream big and work hard, all things are possible in Houston.
