Houston Facts 2014

2014

Discover the Houston RegionTHE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

AUSTIN BRAZORIA CHAMBERS FORT BEND GALVESTON HARRIS LIBERTY MONTGOMERY SAN JACINTO WALLER

MEMBERS: $10 NONMEMBERS: $20GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP

ABOUT THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP

The Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2014. GHP was formed in 1989 in a merger of the Greater Houston Chamber of Commerce, the Houston Economic Development Council and the Houston World Trade Association. Today, GHP represents a member roster of about 2,000 businesses and institutions that account for more than one-fifth of all jobs in Houston. The Partnership serves the 10-county greater Houston region.

The mission of the Greater Houston Partnership is to make Houston one of the worlds best places to live, work and build a business. The Partnership accomplishes its mission by promoting economic development, foreign trade and investment and by advocating for efficient and effective government that supports, rather than impedes, business growth. GHP also convenes key stakeholders to collaborate to solve the regions most pressing issues.

Greater Houston Partnership1200 Smith, Suite 700

Houston, TX 77002-4400713-844-3600

www.houston.org

2014 Greater Houston Partnership

Data in Houston Facts 2014 are current as of June 2014 unless otherwise noted. Every effort was made to revise data to reflect the new nine-county Houston MSA; however, in a few instances, data is reported for the former 10-county MSA.

Houston Facts is a registered trademark of the Greater Houston Partnership.

Cover Photos: Front cover shows shops and restaurants with outdoor seating in Midtown; back cover is the Wortham Theater Center and Sesquicentennial Park in the heart of Houston. Photos courtesy of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Houston Facts 2014 was compiled by the research team of the Greater Houston Partnership, including Deborah Mostert, Edith Chambers, Jenny Philip, Josh Davis, Patrick Jankowski and Roel Martinez, with assistance from our interns Richie Ledo and Samuel Redus.

Table of Contents

The Facts Speak for Themselves 5

Houston Region in Perspective 6

Geography 7Location, Geographic Size, Area Delineation, Geology, Topography, Orientation Map

Demographics 9Population, Median Age, Households, Foreign-Born, Age Distribution, Race/Ethnicity, Educational Attainment, Components of Population Change, Income and Wages, Occupations

Houston Economy 13Overview, Employment, Population and Employment Forecast, Nominal Gross Area Product, Corporate Economy, International Business, Largest Houston-Area Employers

Industries 16Aerospace, Agribusiness, Banking and Finance, Wholesale and Retail Trade , Construction and Real Estate, Energy, Engineering, Health Care and Texas Medical Center, Manufacturing

Technology 23Research and Development, University Research, Technology Transfer, Nanotechnology

Government 25City of Houston, Counties, State and U.S. Representation, Council of Governments, Taxation, Public Safety

Education 27Houston-Area School Districts, Colleges and Universities, Library System

Infrastructure 30Electricity and Natural Gas, Telecommunications, Water, Wastewater, Freight Lines, Railroads, Freeways, Metro, TranStar, Sea Ports, Airports, Print and Broadcast Media

Environment 36Water, Air, Renewable Energy, Houston Advanced Research Center

Downtown Houston 37Office Space, Residential, Park Space, Revitalization, Tunnel/Skybridge System, Vision for the Future

Life in Houston 39Cost of Living, Weather, Religion, Hotels, Shopping, Restaurants, Recurring Events, Convention and Sports Facilities, Sports, Performance Arts and Facilities, Museums, Parks, Forests, Wildlife Refuges, Zoo

History 53

Index 55

The Houston Region:The Facts Speak for ThemselvesHouston Facts. The title says much about this publication. No spin. No frills. No hyperbole. Just page after page of straightforward information from more than 300 sources to answer questions most 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 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 its coverage, bringing you more information about parks, museums, schools, living costs, the regional economy and a host of other topics. Its 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.

You may find in these pages facts that surprise you, tantalize you and perhaps alter your image of Houston. For example:

The Houston region has more jobs than Wisconsin or Tennessee.

The Houston region has no racial or ethnic majority.

The Port of Houston ranks first in U.S. foreign tonnage.

Living costs in the Houston region are 17.3 percent below the average for major metropolitan areas.

Parks represent 14.1 percent of the citys land area.

Of course, we believe the Houston region is one of the nations most attractive major metropolitan areas an outstanding place to live, work, learn, play and conduct business. Wed like you to share that view. But we wont try to persuade you. The facts need no embellishment. They speak for themselves.

HERE THEY ARE.

Freedom Over Texas Festival in Eleanor Tinsley Park

(Photo courtesy of Greater H

ouston Convention & Visitors Bureau)

HOUSTON REGION IN PERSPECTIVE

6 HOUSTON FACTS 2014

Houston Region in PerspectiveArea Houston-The Woodlands Combined Statistical

Area (CSA) covers 14,288 square miles an area larger than the state of Maryland, which covers 12,297 square miles.

The nine-county Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) covers 9,432 square miles an area smaller than Maryland but larger than New Jersey.

Harris County covers 1,778 square miles an area nearly half as large as Rhode Island.

At 655 square miles, the city limits of Houston could contain the cities of New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Minneapolis and Miami.

People If the nine-county Houston MSA were a state,

according to the U.S. Census Bureau, it would rank 18th in population. The Houston MSAs 6,313,158 residents as of July 1, 2013 would place it behind Tennessee (6,495,978) and ahead of Missouri (6,044,171) and Maryland (5,928,814).

If Harris County were a state, it would rank 27th in population. Its 4,336,853 residents as of July 1, 2013 would place it behind Kentucky (4,395,295) and ahead of Oregon (3,930,065) and Oklahoma (3,850,568).

If the City of Houston were a state, it would rank 36th in population. The citys 2,195,914 residents in 2013 place it behind Nevada (2,790,136) and ahead of New Mexico (2,085,287).

Among the nations metropolitan areas, the Houston MSA in 2012 ranked fourth in number of Hispanics (2,228,634), seventh in number of blacks (1,108,955) and seventh in number of Asians (418,237), according to the Census Bureaus American Community Survey.

Economy The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates the Houston MSA had a nominal GDP of $449.4 billion in 2012. Among the states, Houston

would rank 10th, after North Carolina ($455.9 billion) and ahead of Virginia ($445.9 billion).

If the MSA were an independent nation, it would rank as the worlds 27th largest economy, according to the International Monetary Fund behind Argentina ($488.2 billion), but ahead of Austria ($415.4 billion) and the United Arab Emirates ($396.2 billion).

In April 2014, the Houston MSA had more jobs (2,862,800) than 36 states, including Wisconsin (2,835,800), Tennessee (2,799,400), and Minnesota (2,789,400).

In 2013, the Houston Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service recorded closings on 88,766 properties an average of one every 6.0 minutes.

In 2013, Houston MSA automobile dealers sold 347,859 new cars, trucks and SUVs an average of one every 1.5 minutes.

In 2013, the Houston Airport System handled 50,908,863 passengers an average of 5,811.5 passengers per hour around the clock.

In 2013, the City of Houston issued building permits for construction valued at $6.15 billion an average of $195 per second.

In 2013, contracts for the construction of new buildings in the Houston MSA totaled $11.7 billion an average of $22,260 per minute.

Houston International Festival in Sam Houston Park (P

hoto

cour

tesy

of G

reat

er H

oust

on C

onve

ntio

n &

Visi

tors

Bur

eau)

GEOGRAPHY

HOUSTON.ORG 7

GeographyLocation Houston, Texas, is located on the upper Gulf coastal plain at longitude 9522 West and latitude 2945 North, 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.

Houston is the county seat, or administrative center, of Harris County.

Area Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas (MSA) and combined statistical areas (CSA) are geographic delineations defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for use by federal statistical agencies in collecting, tabulating, and publishing federal statistics. These geographic delineations change over time.

2009 Delineation for the Houston region: Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) contains 10 counties: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend,

Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto and Waller.

Houston-Baytown-Huntsville Combined Statistical Area (CSA) includes the MSA plus the Bay City and Huntsville Micropolitan Statistical Areas (Matagorda and Walker counties, respectively).

2013 Delineation for the Houston region: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metropolitan

Statistical Area (MSA) contains nine counties: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller.

Houston-The Woodlands Combined Statistical Area (CSA) includes the MSA plus Matagorda, Trinity, Walker, Washington and Wharton counties.

The longer titles are shortened to Houston MSA, and Houston CSA in Houston Facts.

State of Texas with Houston MSA highlighted

(Map created by GHPs Research Department)

Geographic SizeHouston CSA 14,288 square milesHouston MSA 9,432 square milesHarris County 1,778 square milesCity of Houston 655 square miles

Geology Underpinning Houstons land surface are unconsolidated clays,

clay shales and poorly cemented sands extending to depths of several miles.

The Houston region is earthquake-free.

While the city of Houston contains 86 mapped and historically active surface faults with an aggregate length of 149 miles, the clay below the surface precludes the buildup of friction that produces ground shaking in earthquakes. These faults move only very gradually in what is termed fault creep.

The city of Houston lies in three counties: Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery. Harris County contains the bulk of the city of Houston with small portions of the city lying in Fort Bend and Montgomery counties.

Harris County contains all or part of 34 incorporated cities.

The Houston MSA includes 124 incorporated communities.

Houstons Nine-County Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)


GEOGRAPHY


HOUSTON ORIENTATION MAP*

* Distances are measured from Houstons central business district. (Map created by GHPs Research Department)

Topography Houston lies largely in the northern portion of the Gulf coastal plain, a 40- to 50-mile-wide swath along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Northern and eastern portions of the area are largely forested; southern and western portions are predominantly prairie grassland; coastal areas are prairie and sand.

Surface water in the Houston region consists of lakes, rivers and an extensive system of bayous and man-made canals that are part of the rainwater runoff management system.

Some 24 percent of Harris County lies within the 100-year flood plain and 36 percent within the 500-year flood plain.

Typically, elevation rises approximately one foot per mile inland. Elevation ranges (above sea level) for counties within the Houston MSA: Austin 120 to 460 feet Brazoria 0 to 146 feetChambers 0 to 85 feetFort Bend 12 to 158 feetGalveston 0 to 43 feet

Harris 0 to 310 feetLiberty 0 to 269 feetMontgomery 43 to 435 feetWaller 80 to 357 feet

DEMOGRAPHICS

HOUSTON.ORG 9

DemographicsPopulation Houston, the fourth most populous U.S. city (estimated at 2,195,914 on July 1, 2013), is the largest city in the South and Southwest. The city

of Houston had the second largest numeric increase (35,202) of any U.S. city from July 1, 2012 to July 1, 2013.

Harris County (estimated at 4,336,853 on July 1, 2013) is the third most populous U.S. county. Among all U.S. counties, Harris County had the highest numeric population increase from July 1, 2012 to July 1, 2013; gaining 82,890 new residents.

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land MSA (estimated at 6,313,158 on July 1, 2013) ranks 5th in population among the nations metropolitan areas. The Houston MSA had the largest numeric increase in population of any U.S. metro between April 1, 2010 and July 1, 2013 with 392,702 new residents, a 6.6 percent increase.

Of the Houston MSAs 1,347,852 foreign-born, 4.4 percent or 59,542 entered the U.S. since 2010. Top regions of birth for the Houston MSAs foreign-born are: Latin America 66.3 percent, Asia 23.8 percent, Europe 4.4 percent, Africa

4.2 percent, Northern America 1.1 percent and Oceania 0.2 percent.



GEOGRAPHYPOPULATION* MEDIAN AGE** HOUSEHOLDS** FOREIGN-BORN**

As of July 1, 2013 (in Years)

Total Households

Average Persons per Household Estimate

Percent of Total Population

Houston MSA 6,313,158 33.4 2,060,582 2.92 1,347,852 22.1%

Austin County 28,847 40.6 10,855 2.61 2,720 9.5%

Brazoria County 330,242 35.3 107,526 2.87 39,726 12.4%

Chambers County 36,812 36.2 12,115 2.92 3,016 8.5%

Fort Bend County 652,365 35.3 189,865 3.17 155,049 25.5%

Galveston County 306,782 37.3 109,510 2.66 27,880 25.5%

Harris County 4,336,853 32.3 1,419,274 2.92 1,045,340 25.0%

Liberty County 76,907 36.4 24,813 2.83 5,834 7.7%

Montgomery County 499,137 36.2 163,842 2.87 61,152 13.0%

Waller County 45,213 32.5 13,482 3.00 6,141 14.0%

Sources:* U.S. Bureau of the Census, Population Division, 2013 Population Estimates, Release Date - March 2014** U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2010-2012 American Community Survey, 3-Year Estimates

METRORail boarding location in downtown Houston

DEMOGRAPHICS


Decennial Census Population Totals

YEAR HOUSTON HOUSTON HARRIS CITY OF

CSA* MSA** COUNTY HOUSTON

2010 6,114,562 5,920,416 4,092,459 2,099,451

2000 4,878,216 4,693,161 3,400,578 1,953,631

1990 3,916,362 3,750,411 2,818,199 1,630,553

1980 3,288,861 3,135,806 2,409,544 1,595,138

1970 2,313,938 2,195,146 1,741,912 1,233,505

1960 1,706,969 1,594,894 1,243,158 938,219

1950 1,191,481 1,083,100 806,701 596,163

1940 868,121 752,937 528,961 384,514

1930 650,459 545,547 359,328 292,352

1920 448,341 348,661 186,667 138,276

1910 341,182 252,066 115,693 78,800

1900 285,197 202,438 63,786 44,633

1890 199,052 137,800 37,249 27,557

1880 164,956 112,053 27,985 16,513

1870 118,607 80,866 17,375 9,332

1860 85,532 55,317 9,070 4,845

1850 39,141 27,984 4,668 2,396

* Includes the counties of: the Houston MSA plus Matagorda, Trinity, Walker, Washington and Wharton.**Includes the counties of: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller.

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census; Texas Almanac

Age Distribution: Houston MSA

AGE (Years) PERCENT

Under 5 7.8

5 to19 22.6

20 to 24 6.8

25 to 34 15.1

35 to 44 14.4

45 to 54 13.8

55 to 64 10.6

65 to 84 7.9

85 & Over 1.0

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2012 American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates

Houston International Festival in Tranquility Park in Houstons central business district

Educational Attainment: Houston MSA

Total Population Over Age 25 3,909,515

Graduate or Professional Degree 10.3%

Bachelors Degree 19.3%

Associate Degree 6.0%

Some College, No Degree 21.9%

High School Graduate or GED 23.5%

9th to12th Grade, No Diploma 9.4%

Less than 9th grade 9.5%

High School Graduate or Higher 81.0%

Bachelors Degree or Higher 29.6%Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2012 American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates

Race/Ethnicity:Houston MSA

Anglo 38.8%

Hispanic 35.9%

Black/African American 16.7%

Asian 6.7%

Other 1.6%Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2012 American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

Po

pu

lati

on

(000

,000

)

Houston MSA Population1850 - 2010

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census; Texas Almanac

(Pho

to co

urte

sy o

f GH

CVB)

DEMOGRAPHICS

HOUSTON.ORG 11

Total Wages and SalariesGEOGRAPHY 2013 TOTAL

Houston MSA $169,694,061,710

Austin County $443,529,938

Brazoria County $4,655,190,294

Chambers County $740,707,452

Fort Bend County $8,104,630,790

Galveston County $4,317,814,270

Harris County $142,635,472,401

Liberty County $669,119,132

Montgomery County $7,440,325,779

Waller County $687,271,654Source: Texas Workforce Commission, Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages

IncomePer Capita Personal Income: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data put the nine-county Houston MSA pretax

per capita personal income (PCPI) in 2012 at $51,004.

The Houston regions PCPI was 16.6 percent above the U.S. average in 2012. PCPI increased 4.5 percent in the Houston MSA and 3.4 percent nationwide from

2011 to 2012.

Total Personal Income: Total personal income (TPI) in the nine-county Houston MSA in 2012 was $315.056

billion, up 6.7 percent from 2011.

Weekly Wage: Average weekly wage in Harris County in the fourth quarter of 2013 was $1,316

31.6 percent above the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Self-employed persons were not included in the data.)

Bayou Bend Part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston



Components of Population ChangeChange from April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013

GEOGRAPHYPOPULATION NET

DOMESTIC MIGRATION

NET INTERNATIONAL

MIGRATION

NATURAL INCREASE TOTAL POPULATION

CHANGE JULY 1, 2013 BIRTHS DEATHS

Houston MSA 6,313,158 124,548 80,394 299,536 111,857 392,702

Austin County 28,847 7 129 1,137 859 422

Brazoria County 330,242 7,388 1,316 14,815 6,588 17,105

Chambers County 36,812 952 15 1,491 769 1,716

Fort Bend County 652,365 39,614 9,924 25,664 8,143 67,679

Galveston County 306,782 8,138 2,000 12,768 7,564 15,475

Harris County 4,336,853 40,006 62,599 217,726 74,906 243,688

Liberty County 76,907 152 52 3,309 2,240 1,264

Montgomery County 499,137 27,513 4,129 20,818 9,933 43,377

Waller County 45,213 778 230 1,808 855 1,976

Note: In some cases, the natural increase and the increase due to in-migration wont sum to the change in population due to rounding errors and the bureaus use of residual values in generating the estimates. Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Population Division, 2013 Population Estimates, Release Date - March 2014

DEMOGRAPHICS


Occupations: Houston MSA(Employed Persons Age 16 and Over) Total Civilian Employed Population 2,882,729

Management 279,130

Business and Financial Operations 152,033

Computer and Mathematical 62,380

Architecture and Engineering 90,151

Life, Physical, and Social Science 26,554

Community and Social Services 31,336

Legal 36,879

Education, Training, and Library 164,151

Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 46,713

Health Diagnosing and Treating 96,475

Health Technologists and Technicians 42,287

Healthcare Support 62,488

Protective Service 64,569

Food Preparation and Serving Related 150,024

Building and Grounds Maintenance 139,114

Personal Care and Service 86,567

Sales and Related 315,878

Office and Administrative Support 362,297

Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 5,177

Construction and Extraction 202,303

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 109,826

Production 176,827

Transportation 109,610

Material Moving 69,960


Race by Ethnicity: Houston MSA NON-HISPANIC HISPANICRACE/ETHNICITY NUMBER PERCENT NUMBER PERCENT

White 2,406,315 38.79% 1,698,206 27.37%

Black 1,037,595 16.72% 23,341 0.38%

American Indian/ Alaska Native 9,182 0.15% 15,520 0.25%

Asian 418,237 6.74% 3,494 0.06%

Native Hawaiian/ Other Pacific Islander 3,538 0.06% 411 0.01%

Some Other Race 10,443 0.17% 437,693 7.05%

Two or More Races 90,217 1.45% 49,969 0.81%

TOTAL 3,975,527 64.08% 2,228,634 35.92%Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2012 American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates

Commuting to Work:Houston MSA

Total Workers Age 16 and Over 2,836,304

Drove Alone in Car, Truck or Van 79.6%

Carpooled in Car, Truck or Van 11.1%

Public Transportation 2.6%

Walked 1.4%

Bicycle 0.3%

Other Means 1.5%

Worked at Home 3.5%

Mean travel time to work (in minutes) 28.6


Household Income in Most Recent 12 Months:

Houston MSATotal Households 2,099,897

$200,000 or more 6.5%

$150,000 to $199,999 5.9%

$100,000 to $149,999 13.9%

$75,000 to $99,999 11.6%

$50,000 to $74,999 17.3%

$35,000 to $49,999 13.2%

$25,000 to $34,999 10.2%

$15,000 to $24,999 10.0%

$10,000 to $14,999 4.7%

Less than $10,000 6.7%

Median income $55,910Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2012 American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates. Income is in 2012 inflation-adjusted dollars.

The Lake House at Discovery Green in downtown Houston

(Pho

to co

urte

sy o

f Gre

ater

Hou

ston

Con

vent

ion

& Vi

sito

rs B

urea

u)

HOUSTON ECONOMY

HOUSTON.ORG 13

Houston EconomyHouston entered the Great Recession in September 2008, its employment (seasonally adjusted) having peaked at 2,612,900 the month before. The region recorded job losses for 16 consecutive months, and by January 2010 had lost 117,400 jobs. Job growth returned in February 2010 and by November 2011, the region had returned to its previous employment peak. As of May 2014, the 10-county Houston metro area had created 379,500 jobs, the equivalent to 323.3 percent of all jobs lost in the recession. Employment is higher now than at any point in Houstons history.

Houston fared better in the recession for a variety of reasons. The real estate community recognized the signals earlier this time. In 2009 and 2010, developers built only 44,439 homes and 10,119 apartments54,558 total housing units, a fraction of what it had built in the years prior. Most of the homes were built under contract and therefore had a firm buyer before they started construction. On the office side, developers built only 15 million square feet of space during the recession, much of it preleased before construction began. Builders had help from the financial community in reading the signals. During the recession, office construction loans were nonexistent and tighter lending standards curtailed home construction. As a result, Houston was not overbuilt and local housing and office markets weathered the recession better than most other metros.

Houston never had a housing bubble. Since Houston had no bubble, the region didnt experience the collapse in housing values that destroyed many other metros. True, Houston had its share of failed subprime mortgages which dumped thousands of foreclosures on the market depressing home values. But, home values never collapsed like elsewhere. Housing has always been affordable here for a number of reasonsan abundance of developable land, ease of the permitting process, a lack of zoning, the ease of setting up municipal utility districts (a mechanism for creating infrastructure in unincorporated parts of the region), and low materials and labor costs to name a few.

The energy industry exercised greater restraint than in previous recessions. From the employment peak in August 2008 to the trough in January 2010, the energy industry cut just 11,100 jobs, a loss of 12.5 percent. Fewer losses in the economic base translated into fewer losses in the secondary sector. The region lost one in 22 jobs in the Great Recession versus one in seven jobs during the recession of the 80s.

Why the restraint? The energy industry has an aging workforce, a byproduct of the 80s layoffs and the 90s weak hiring. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average age of workers in the energy industry is now over 50, and the industry estimates that up to half of its current workforce will retire within five to 10 years. Only in the last decade did hiring pick up. An age profile of the industrys workforce looks like an inverted bell curve, with younger workers on one end, older workers on the other, but not many middle-aged workers in the middle. This put energy companies in a dilemma. During the recession, if older workers took early retirement, who would remain behind to train the younger workers? If younger

workers left, who would run the company when the older workers retired? The dilemma helped to moderate energy industry job losses and thus losses in the secondary sector which translated into fewer job losses overall.

Houston also continued to attract foreign investment during the recession. According to GHPs New Business Announcements database, more than 100 foreign-owned companies relocated, expanded or started new businesses in Houston between 08 through 10. These companies voted with their balance sheets and decided that having an office, plant or distribution center in Houston is important to their future growthand its important to Houstons as well.

Houstons long-term prospects for growth are strong. From 2011 to 2040, the Perryman Group sees the Houston MSA averaging annual growth of 1.6 percent for employment, 1.8 percent for population and 3.5 percent in real (i.e., net of inflation) Gross Area Product.

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.5

2.6

2.7

2.8

2.9

Jan-04 Jan-05 Jan-06 Jan-07 Jan-08 Jan-09 Jan-10 Jan-11 Jan-12 Jan-13 Jan-14 Jan-15

Emp

loym

ent

(Mill

ion

s)

Source: Texas Workforce Commission * Seasonally Adjusted

Total Payroll Employment, Houston Metro Area*

6.06.6

7.27.9

8.69.4

10.2

2.6 3.03.3 3.6

3.9 4.24.4

2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040

Source: The Perryman Group

Population & Employment ForecastMetro Houston, Millions

Population Employment

HOUSTON ECONOMY


Employment by Industry - Houston MSA 2013 Annual Average

INDUSTRY JOBS (000)% OF

TOTAL

GOODS PRODUCING 547.2 19.62%

Mining and Logging 106.4 3.82%Oil and Gas Extraction 58.3 2.09%Support Activities for Mining 47.1 1.69%

Construction 188.9 6.77%Manufacturing 251.8 9.03%

Durable Goods 171.0 6.13%Nondurable Goods 80.9 2.90%

SERVICE PRODUCING 2,241.2 80.38%

Wholesale Trade 150.7 5.40%Retail Trade 283.8 10.18%Transportation/ Warehousing/Utilities 131.1 4.70%Information 32.3 1.16%Finance and Insurance 90.4 3.24%Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 51.8 1.86%Professional and Business Services 426.8 15.31%Educational Services 49.2 1.76%Health Care and Social Assistance 286.2 10.26%Arts, Entertainment and Recreation 28.8 1.03%Accommodations and Food Services 242.6 8.70%Other Services 98.9 3.55%Government 368.5 13.22%

TOTAL 2,788.4 100.00%Sum of individual sectors may not equal the total due to rounding.

Source: Texas Workforce Commission, Employment Estimates

Corporate EconomyHouston, a major corporate center, ranks 3rd among U.S. metro areas in the number of corporate headquarters contained on the 2014 Fortune 500 list. Many other Fortune 500 firms maintain U.S. offices in Houston.

Houstons corporate headquarters are represented on the following lists:

Number of Houston-based companies Corporate Ranking Source

26 2014 Fortune 5007 2013 Fortune Global 500

28 2014 Forbes Global 2000

Of the worlds 100 largest non-U.S.-based corporations, 63 have a presence in Houston.

County Business Patterns shows that the Houston MSA in 2012 had 126,782 business establishments with payroll. These establishments fall into the below employment size categories.

Employment Size

Number of Establishments

Percent ofEstablishments

1,000+ 145 0.11%500-999 256 0.20%250-499 748 0.59%100-249 2,700 2.13%50-99 4,475 3.53%20-49 12,228 9.64%10-19 16,635 13.12%5-9 23,552 18.58%1-4 66,043 52.09%

Source: County Business Patterns, 2012 data released May 2014

Houstons downtown skyline at dusk with pedestrian bridges spanning Buffalo Bayou in the foreground

Nominal Gross Area Product Houston MSA 2013

INDUSTRY $BILLIONS% of

TOTAL

Agriculture 0.437 0.08Mining 102.936 19.3Construction 24.784 4.7Manufacturing 97.734 18.3 Nondurable Goods 68.547 12.9 Durable Goods 29.187 5.5Transportation/ Warehousing/Utilities 37.080 7.0Trade (Wholesale and Retail) 56.093 10.5Information 7.753 1.5Finance/Insurance/Real Estate 63.388 11.9Services 111.633 20.9Government 31.158 5.8TOTAL $532.997 100.0

Source: The Perryman Group, Winter 2014

(Pho

to co

urte

sy o

f Gre

ater

Hou

ston

Con

vent

ion

& Vi

sito

rs B

urea

u)

HOUSTON ECONOMY

HOUSTON.ORG 15

Employment Total nonfarm employment in the Houston MSA stood

at 2,883,000 in May 2014, up 93,300 from May 2013.

From May 2013 to May 2014, local nonfarm employment in the Houston MSA rose 3.3 percent.

Houston MSA unemployment in May 2014 was 5.0 percent, versus a national unemployment rate of 6.1 percent. The rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Largest Houston Area Employers - 2014COMPANY EMPLOYEES

Memorial Hermann Health System 19,500

The University of Texas MD Anderson 19,290

United Airlines 17,000

Exxon Mobil Corporation 13,191

Shell Oil Company 13,000

Houston Methodist 13,000

Kroger Company 12,000

National Oilwell Varco 10,000

Schlumberger Limited 10,000

BP America, Inc. 9,537

UTMB Health 9,318

Baylor College of Medicine 9,232

Chevron 9,000

HP 9,000

ARAMARK Corp. 8,500

Pappas Restaurants, Inc. 8,000

HCA 7,855

Macys 7,000

AT&T 6,900

CHI St. Lukes Health 6,800

The Dow Chemical Company, Freeport 6,600

Jacobs 6,220

Baker Hughes Incorporated 6,000

H.E.B. 6,000

Texas Childrens Hospital 6,000

Halliburton 5,748

Fiesta Mart, Inc. 5,500

Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston 5,220

KBR 5,089

LyondellBasell Industries 5,080

CenterPoint Energy 5,000

JPMorgan Chase 5,000

Reliant, An NRG Company 4,900

Note: Ranked by number of employees. The list does not include casual dining establishments, municipalities, school districts, community colleges, public universities (except UTMB Health and The University of Texas MD Anderson) and governmental agencies.Source: Greater Houston Partnership Database, June 2014

International BusinessHouston, a major international city, consistently ranks among the top three U.S. cities in the number of foreign consulates. It is the base of operations for the international oil and gas exploration and production industry and for many of the nations largest international engineering and construction firms.

A key center for international finance, Houston leads the Southwest with 21 foreign banks from 9 nations. The Houston operations of these banks account for 12 of Texas 15 foreign bank representative offices and seven of Texas nine foreign bank agencies.

Ninety-two nations have consular representation in the city, ranking Houstons consular corps 3rd largest in the nation.

Fourteen foreign governments maintain trade and commercial offices here, and the city has 32 active foreign chambers of commerce and trade associations.

Consumers can search the Houston Association of Realtors properties database (HAR.com) in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Italian and Vietnamese. The associations more than 5,600 multilingual realtors speak 94 languages.

Houston has two Chinese daily foreign-language newspapers, plus at least 21 less frequently published newspapers and magazines in a variety of languages. Five television stations present programming in Spanish and one station includes programming in Chinese. Spanish broadcasting has a significant presence on radio with 13 stations. Two stations offer programming in several Asian languages and three stations offer programs in a wide variety of international languages.

Houston has 17 sister-city relationships promoting business opportunities across five continents: Australia (1), Asia (6), Europe (7), Africa (1) and Americas (2).

In June 2014, the Greater Houston Partnerships database listed 3,532 Houston area firms, foreign government offices and nonprofit organizations involved in international business.

480 Houston area companies report having offices abroad in 144 countries

737 firms in Houston report foreign ownership

International light spikes near the entrance to Bush Intercontinental Airport



INDUSTRIES


IndustriesAerospaceHome to NASAs Johnson Space Center (JSC), and a diverse network of research and education organizations with ties to aerospace technology, the Houston region is a worldwide leader in the aerospace industry.

Top Employers: Jacobs Engineering (6,220), NASAs Johnson Space Center (3,000 civil servants, not including contractors), The Boeing Company (1,500), United Space Alliance (1,264) and Lockheed Martin Space Operations (880).

Establishments: Houston is home to more than 150 companies involved in aircraft or space vehicle manufacturing, space research and technology, or other air transportation support activities. The Houston MSA in the fourth quarter of 2013 had 15 establishments in aerospace products and parts manufacturing.

Trade: Houstons trade imports and exports in aircraft, spacecraft and parts totaled $1.55 billion in 2013. Aircraft, spacecraft and parts ranks as Houstons 15th largest internationally traded commodity.

Economic Impact: The Johnson Space Center manages an annual budget of approximately $4.5 billion in contracts, grants, civil service payroll and procurements. Of that amount, about $2.1 billion is spent in the Houston region.

Tourism: Space Center Houston is the official visitors center for Johnson Space Center. Approximately 800,000 visitors each year come to learn about the past, present, and future story of Americas space program.

Astronaut during spacewalk

Agricultural Commodities Valued over $1 Million - Houston MSA 2013

COMMODITY PRODUCTION VALUE ($1000)% of

TOTALNursery 461,363 40.0%Other Beef 280,575 24.3%Timber 71,330 6.2%All Other Commodities 67,016 5.8%Hay 48,394 4.2%Sorghum 43,637 3.8%Cotton Lint 41,085 3.6%Horses 40,596 3.5%Feed Corn 27,376 2.4%Other Ag. Related 21,930 1.9%Goats 12,412 1.1%Aquaculture 8,543 0.7%Hunting 6,959 0.6%Christmas Trees 5,441 0.5%Soybeans 4,600 0.4%Vegetables 4,515 0.4%Fed Beef 3,727 0.3%Rice 1,674 0.1%Watermelon 998 0.1%Cottonseed 754 0.1%Wheat 451 0.0%Pecans 45 0.0%Production Value Total* 1,153,419 100.0%*Reflects current dollars not adjusted for inflation. Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

AgribusinessCentrally situated in a 20-county coastal prairie agricultural region, Houston is a major international agribusiness center emphasizing the marketing, processing, packaging and distribution of agricultural commodities. In 2013, 208,000 acres approximately 17 percent of Harris Countys land area were classified as agricultural/timber land for property tax purposes.

Value of Agricultural Production Houston MSA 2013

COUNTYPRODUCTION

VALUE ($1000)% of

TOTALHarris 441,709 38.3%Fort Bend 221,015 19.2%Brazoria 114,089 9.9%Austin 85,439 7.4%Liberty 70,823 6.1%Chambers 63,308 5.5%Waller 53,582 4.6%San Jacinto 48,660 4.2%Montgomery 30,082 2.6%Galveston 24,712 2.1%Houston MSA Total 1,153,419 100.0%

Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Cash value projections were prepared by County Extension Program Councils in January 2014 and are subject to price changes, growing and harvesting conditions. Government payments are not included. However, crop values are estimated at market price or Commodity Credit Corp loan rate, whichever is higher.

(Pho

to co

urte

sy o

f NAS

A)

INDUSTRIES

HOUSTON.ORG 17

Banking and FinanceEmployment: In 2013, the Houston MSA employed an average of 90,400 workers in the finance and insurance sector.

Top Employers: JPMorgan Chase (5,000 employees), VALIC (3,100), Bank of America (3,000), Wells Fargo (2,471) and Amegy Bank of Texas (1,500).

Institutions and Deposits: As of June 30, 2013 the Houston MSAs 110 FDIC-insured institutions had 1,526 local offices and local deposits of $208.033 billion. Commercial banks accounted for 99 institutions, 1,501 offices and $206.726 billion in deposits; savings institutions numbered 11, with 25 offices and $1.307 billion in deposits. The Houston MSA in 2013 ranked 10th among U.S. MSAs in total deposits.

Fourteen of the nations 30 largest FDIC-insured banks, as measured by domestic deposits, operate full-service branches or commercial loan offices in the Houston region. These 14 include the four largest banks in the nation.

According to the U.S. Census Bureaus 2012 County Business Patterns, the Houston MSA had 8,976 finance and insurance establishments with a total annual payroll of $8.129 billion.

2013 Gross Retail Sales

COUNTY GROSS RETAIL SALES% CHANGE FROM 2012

Houston MSA 114,475,789,540 5.8%

Austin 2,018,650,268 -6.8%

Brazoria 3,845,149,472 1.0%

Chambers 2,276,329,644 -7.3%

Fort Bend 7,356,498,473 10.3%

Galveston 3,531,959,176 10.6%

Harris 84,948,866,605 6.1%

Liberty 856,031,948 -13.6%

Montgomery 9,137,271,629 8.3%

Waller 505,032,325 10.5%

Source: Texas Comptrollers Office

Federal Reserve Bank Houston facility

Wholesale and Retail TradeEmployment: Wholesale trade employment in the Houston MSA averaged 150,675 in 2013, increasing 4.4 percent from the 144,367 employed in 2012. Retail trade employment in the Houston MSA averaged 283,775 in 2013, increasing 2.7 percent from the 276,217 employed in 2012.

Top Employers: Kroger (12,000 employees), Macys (7,000), H.E.B. (6,000), Fiesta Mart (5,500) and Home Depot (4,710).

Establishments: The Houston MSA in the fourth quarter of 2013 had 10,639 wholesale trade establishments and 17,001 retail trade establishments.

Retail: At the end of 2013, CBRE reported a retail base of209.5 million-square-feet (msf ) for 3,186 Houston area regional malls, multi-tenant centers and single-tenant buildings over 20,000 square-feet. The vacancy rate was 7.4 percent, total net absorption for 2013 was 2.0 million square-feet and the average annual lease rate was $21.87 per square foot.

(Photo by Deborah M

ostert, Greater H

ouston Partnership)

INDUSTRIES


Houston Area Housing Starts andMulti-Family Units Delivered

Single-Family Starts

Multi-Family

Units Added

Total Units

2013 28,233 12,103 40,336

2012 23,616 5,874 29,490

2011 18,353 5,383 23,736

2010 18,853 3,784 22,637

2009 18,687 14,640 33,327

2008 26,141 21,862 48,003

2007 37,568 14,729 52,297

2006 49,543 10,126 59,669

2005 47,968 12,714 60,682

2004 40,712 12,328 53,040

2003 38,160 14,405 52,565

2002 33,963 8,358 42,321

Source: Metrostudy and Apartment Data Services

Construction and Real EstateEmployment: Construction employment in the Houston MSA totaled 188,942 in 2013, increasing 5.4 percent from the 179,208 employed in 2012.

Top Employers (Commercial Building Contractors): Bilfinger Tepsco, Inc. (544), Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc. (450), Tellepsen (400 employees), D. E. Harvey Builders, Inc. (300) and W. S. Bellows Construction Corporation (275).

Establishments: The Houston MSA in the fourth quarter of 2013 had 9,521 construction establishments: 1,672 in residential building, 1,028 in nonresidential building construction, 977 in heavy and civil engineering construction, and 5,844 specialty trade contractors.

Building Permits: In 2013, the City of Houston issued building permits valued at $6.15 billion, up 26.6 percent from $4.86 billion in 2012. Nonresidential permits rose 24.2 percent, from $3.1 billion in 2012 to $3.8 billion in 2013. Permits for residential construction totaled $2.3 billion in 2013, up 30.7 percent from $1.8 billion in 2012. According to McGraw Hill, more than $11.7 billion in construction contracts were awarded in the 10-county Houston metro area last year, up 4.1 percent from the $11.2 billion awarded in 2012. Residential contracts totaled $8.2 billion in 2013, up 14.4 percent from $7.2 billion in 2012. Commercial contracts totaled $3.5 billion in 2013, down 14.0 percent from $4.1 billion in 2012.

Office: At the close of 2013, CBRE reports that the Houston area the nations seventh largest office market counted 1,221 general-purpose office buildings containing 193.5 million-square-feet (msf ) of completed net rentable space (42.6 msf in the Central Business District, or CBD).

Net absorption (net change in leased space in completed buildings) for all general purpose office space was4.9 msf in 2013. The submarkets with the highest absorption rates were the West Loop/Galleria (974,412 sf ), The Woodlands (736,366 sf ) and FM 1960/Highway 249 (665,559 sf ). The vacancy rate for the entire Houston market was 11.8 percent by the end of 2013.

Average rent for the entire Class A office market was $35.52 per square foot ($42.12 for CBD Class A and $32.00 for suburban Class A).Both CBD and Suburban Class A average rent increased compared to year-end 2012 numbers.

Industrial: Houstons464.1 msf of industrial space in buildings of 10,000 sf or more rank it as the sixth largest U.S. market. CBRE reported year-end 2013 occupancy remainedtight at 94.7 percent. During 2013, construction of 8.6 msf was completed and5.8 msf was absorbed. Across the market, average asking rates increased from $0.53 per sf per month in 2012 to $0.63 per sf per month in 2013.

Single-Family: According to the Houston Association of Realtors, MLS single family closings (largely resale homes) in the Houston area totaled 73,282 in 2013, up 17.5 percent from 62,374 in 2012. Median sales price for resale single-family detached homes was $180,000 in 2013, up 9.4 percent from $164,500 in 2012. The inventory of unsold homes at year-end decreased from 3.7 months in December 2012 to 2.6 months in December 2013. (Months of inventory is the number of months it will take to deplete current active inventory based on the prior 12 months of sales activity.)

Multi-family: For the fourth quarter of 2013, CBRE reported that Houston area multi-family occupancy stood at 91.1 percent, with an inventory of 574,299 units in 2,512 complexes. Rental rates increased 3.2 percent in 2013 and averaged $0.97 per square foot in the fourth quarter of 2013. The Montrose/Museum District posted the highest rent, averaging $1.71 psf. Net absorption totaled 16,199 units in 2013, up from 15,344 in 2012. Proposed construction as of the fourth quarter of 2013 totals 20,820 units.

Multi-family housing near Houstons museum district

(Pho

to b

y D

ebor

ah M

oste

rt, G

reat

er H

oust

on P

artn

ersh

ip)

INDUSTRIES

HOUSTON.ORG 19

EnergyHouston is the leading domestic and international center for virtually every segment of the energy industry exploration, production, transmission, marketing, service, supply, offshore drilling and technology.

Employment: As of May 2014, the Houston MSA held 29.2 percent of the nations jobs in oil and gas extraction (61,300 of 210,100), 11.5 percent of jobs in support activities for mining (49,300 of 427,000) and 16.9 percent of agriculture, construction and mining machinery manufacturing jobs (43,000 of 254,700).

Top Employers: ExxonMobil (13,191 employees), Shell Oil Company (13,000), Schlumberger (10,000), BP America (9,537) and Chevron (9,000).

Establishments: The Houston MSA has more than 3,700 energy-related establishments, both upstream and downstream. In the fourth quarter of 2013, there were 1,039 establishments in oil and gas extraction and 824 establishments in support activities for oil and gas operations.

Houston is home to 40 of the nations 134 publicly traded oil and gas exploration and production firms, including 10 of the top 25 as ranked by 2012 total assets; nine more among the top 25 have subsidiaries, major divisions or other significant operations in Houston.

The logistics for moving much of the nations petroleum and natural gas across the country are controlled from Houston. Fifteen of the nations 20 largest U.S. interstate oil pipeline companies have a presence in the Houston region that includes corporate or divisional headquarters or ownership interests. These 15 control 66,746 miles or 44 percent of all U.S. oil pipeline capacity. Thirteen of the nations top 20 natural gas transmission companies have corporate or divisional headquarters in Houston, controlling 103,108 miles of U.S. pipeline, which is 52 percent of total U.S. gas pipeline capacity.

Partnerships: Houston is the Permanent Secretariat of the World Energy Cities Partnership (WECP), a collaboration among 19 energy cities worldwide providing a platform for information exchange, networking and public relations.

The Energy Forum of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University draws together experts from academia, the energy industry, government, media and nongovernmental organizations.

The Wind Alliance (TWA), founded and headquartered in Houston, is a non-profit collaboration of industry, academia and government, working in a combined effort to ensure Americas wind energy future.

The Advanced Energy Consortium, led by Rice University and The University of Texas, includes numerous major energy corporations working together to pursue micro- and nanotechnology applications to increase oil and gas production.

Offshore platform rig used in drilling for oil and gas



EngineeringEmployment: Houston has more than 89,620 engineers, architects, drafters and technicians of all disciplines, the most numerous being: civil, industrial, petroleum, mechanical, electrical/electronic and aerospace.

For every 100,000 workers in the Houston MSA, there are 3,250 engineers and architects. In comparison, for every 100,000 workers in the U.S., there are 1,796 engineers and architects.

Top Employers: KBR (475 licensed engineers), Wood Group Mustang Inc. (394), Technip (240), WorleyParsons Group (207) and S&B Engineers and Constructors (163).

Establishments: There are approximately 2,800 engineering and architectural establishments in Houston. Of the 25 largest firms on Engineering News-Records (ENR) 2013 ranking of the Top 500 Engineering and Design Firms, all 25 have a presence in Houston.

Earnings: According to the Houston Business Journal, local billings of Houstons 10 largest energy engineering firms (ranked by 2012 local gross billings) reached more than $7.6 billion in 2012. Local billings of Houstons 10 largest civil and structural engineering firms (ranked by 2012 local gross billings) surpassed $581 million in 2012.

INDUSTRIES


Engineering Concentration

OCCUPATION NUMBER EMPLOYED IN HOUSTON

OCCUPATION PER100,000 WORKERS

(HOUSTON)

OCCUPATION PER100,000 WORKERS

(U.S.)

Aerospace engineers 2,630 95 54Biomedical engineers 370 13 15Chemical engineers 4,400 160 25Civil engineers 10,700 388 198Computer hardware engineers 1,190 43 59

Electrical engineers 3,980 144 127

Electronics engineers, except computer 3,130 114 102Environmental engineers 1,040 38 40Health and safety engineers 860 31 18Industrial engineers 5,740 208 174Marine engineers and naval architects 1,380 50 5Materials engineers 550 20 18Mechanical engineers 7,720 280 195Mining and geological engineers 730 26 6Petroleum engineers 12,520 454 26All other engineers 3,340 121 91

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, May 2013

Health CareEmployment: The Houston MSA employs over 290,000 employees in the health care industry.

The region has 15,315 physicians and 132 hospitals (121 general and special, 11 psychiatric) with 20,488 beds.

Harris County, with 12,551 physicians, has 95 hospitals (86 general and special, nine psychiatric) with 17,134 beds.

Clinics, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities are plentiful.

Virtually every medical specialty is represented in the region.

The Houston MSA has: 536 certified emergency

care attendants 7,979 basic emergency

medical technicians 1,042 intermediate

emergency technicians 2,807 paramedics 916 licensed paramedics

Top Employers: Memorial Hermann Healthcare (19,500 employees), The University of Texas MD Anderson (19,290), The Methodist Hospital System (13,000), UTMB Health (9,318) and Baylor College of Medicine (9,232).

Establishments: The Houston region is home to over 12,400 health care establishments. This includes 276 licensed emergency medical services firms (ambulance services), each required by law to have a physician medical director. The Houston MSA also has55 registered first responder organizations.

Health care procedure performed at the Texas Medical Center

(Pho

to co

urte

sy o

f Gre

ater

Hou

ston

Con

vent

ion

& Vi

sito

rs B

urea

u)

INDUSTRIES

HOUSTON.ORG 21

Texas Medical Center member institutions include:

Six general hospitals: Ben Taub General Hospital; Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital; Memorial Hermann Hospital-Texas Medical Center; Houston Methodist Hospital; CHI St. Lukes Health; and The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

Eleven specialized hospitals: Harris County Psychiatric Center; Quentin Mease Community Hospital; Shriners Hospitals for ChildrenHouston and Galveston; Texas Childrens Hospital; DePelchin Childrens Center; The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR); The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center; Childrens Memorial Hermann Hospital; The Menninger Clinic; and the Michael E. DeBakey Veteran Affairs Medical Center Houston.

Two specialized patient facilities: Texas Heart Institute; and Houston Hospice.

Four medical schools: Baylor College of Medicine; Texas A&M University Health Science Center; The University of Texas Medical School; and The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

Five schools of nursing: Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing; Texas Womans University Institute of Health Sciences; The University of Texas School of Nursing; Houston Community College; and the University of Houston-Victoria School of Nursing.

Two schools of pharmacy: Texas Southern University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; and University of Houston College of Pharmacy.

A dental school: The University of Texas Health Science Center Dental School.

A community college focused on 19 health science fields: Houston Community College.

A high school of health professions: Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions.

Member Institutions 54 Life Science Students 50,000

Annual Patient Visits 7.2 million Faculty 17,500

Annual International Patient Visits 16,000 Volunteers 10,000

Employees 106,000 Patient Beds 7,000

Physicians 5,000 Babies Delivered (annually) 25,000

Nurses 15,000 Annual Surgeries 171,000

Researchers 5,700 Total Size (All Campuses): 1,345 acres

Texas Medical CenterThe Texas Medical Center is the worlds largest medical complex by any measure number of hospitals, number of physicians, square footage, patient volume. The Texas Medical Center member institutions have been consistently recognized as some of the best hospitals and universities in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

Texas Medical Center, with Rice University on the far left



INDUSTRIES


Base petrochemicals are the raw materials for producing some of the more important plastics and resins. The Houston MSA dominates U.S. production of three major resins polyethylene, with 36.2 percent of U.S. capacity; polypropylene, with 51.3 percent; and polyvinyl chloride, with 34.4 percent.

Manufacturing Employment: Manufacturing employment in the Houston MSA stood at 257,700 in May 2014 67.0 percent in durable goods and 33.0 percent in nondurables. Chemicals accounted for 14.2 percent of total manufacturing employment; fabricated metals and machinery, 45.9 percent.

Top Employers: National Oilwell Varco (10,000), HP (9,000), The Dow Chemical Company Freeport (6,600) ExxonMobil Chemical Company Baytown Chemical Complex (6,500) and Schlumberger Integrated Productivity & Conveyance (5,500).

Establishments: The Houston MSA in the fourth quarter of 2013 was home to 6,063 manufacturing establishments, which includes: 498 in chemical manufacturing, 749 in machinery manufacturing, and 1,711 in fabricated metal product manufacturing.

Value of Shipments: In 2007 (the most recent Census of Manufactures for which data are available), the Houston MSA recorded $238.607 billion in shipments, accounting for 40.2 percent of Texas 2007 total. Key Houston MSA industries in 2007 include chemicals, petroleum refining, fabricated metal products, machinery, and computers and electronics.

Value added by manufacturer in the Houston MSA in 2007 totaled $81.535 billion, accounting for 38.1percent of the Texas total. Leading Houston MSA industries in value added in 2007 are chemicals, petroleum refining, fabricated metal products, machinery, and computers and electronics.

Value added per production worker in the Houston MSA in 2007 was $561,096; value added per production payroll dollar was $12.46, reflecting the high concentration of capital-intensive industries in the region. Capital expenditures in Houston MSA manufacturing totaled $6.770 billion in 2007. Chemicals ($3.413 billion) accounted for 50.4 percent of the total.

Manufacturing in 2013 accounted for $97.734 billion, or 18.3 percent, of Houston MSA Gross Area Product according to The Perryman Group. Nondurable goods represented 70.1 percent of the manufacturing total.

Petroleum Refining: The Spaghetti Bowl is a complex of several thousand miles of product pipeline connecting some 200 chemical plants, refineries, salt domes and fractionation plants along the Texas Gulf Coast. It gives the Houston area a unique economic advantage through convenient and low-cost transfer of feedstocks, fuel and chemical products among plants, storage terminals and transportation facilities.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administrations Refinery Capacity Report issued January 2014, the Texas Gulf Coast had a crude operating capacity of 4.5 million barrels of refined petroleum products per calendar day 87 percent of the Texas total and 25 percent of the U.S. total.

Chemicals/Petrochemicals: The Houston MSA has 40.6 percent of the nations base petrochemicals manufacturing capacity. According to IHS, the Houston MSA annual base petrochemicals production capacity in 2013 was:

THOUSANDMETRIC TONS

% of U.S. TOTAL

Benzene 3,388 35.6Butadiene 1,166 51.4Ethylene 12,015 43.5Propylene 12,343 42.2Toluene 2,011 33.7Xylenes 2,957 33.8

Toshibas HEV Plant in Houston uses robotics to manufacture hybrid electric vehicle motors and generators for all of Ford Motor Companys hybrid vehicles

(Pho

to co

urte

sy o

f Tos

hiba

Inte

rnat

iona

l Cor

pora

tion

- Pho

to b

y W

ayne

Gill

)

TECHNOLOGY

HOUSTON.ORG 23

Technology

Mission Control for the International Space Station at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston(Photo by D

eborah Mostert, G

reater Houston Partnership)

Research and DevelopmentNASAs Johnson Space Center, the Texas Medical Center, the worlds largest concentration of energy and petrochemical companies, and the regions major universities make Houston a focal point of U.S. research and development (R&D) activities.

Aerospace NASA has developed technologies for space exploration that also have applications in the energy industry. Through partnerships with oil

and gas companies, hardware such as friction clamps and autonomous pipe inspection tools that can be used on deepwater wells have been developed and tested.

JSC developed a synthetic plant growth medium that requires only water to maintain plant life as a food source for humans during interplanetary travel or on planetary outposts. This medium could provide critical food in developing countries.

JSC engineers, Rice University researchers and the Limbs of Love Foundation joined forces to provide amputees flexible, lifelike myoelectric arms with several degrees of freedom in the joints and tactile sensation at the fingertips using space robotics.

JSC researchers are pioneering new technology to detect buried and submerged objects. Applications range from the oil and gas industry to detecting metallic and nonmetallic land mines.

A NASA-funded study at the University of Houston seeks to monitor the rate and extent of unloading-induced bone loss in humans, leading to a noninvasive means of monitoring bone loss in the microgravity environment.

Health Care and Bioscience The BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC) convenes scientists and educators from Rice University and the Texas Medical Center to

perform leading research that benefits human medicine and health. The Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, established by the University of Houston, conducts groundbreaking research in treatments for cancer, diabetes and obesity.

Pumps and Pipes, an annual conference brings together experts in the petroleum, medical and imaging industries to share new technologies, stimulate discussion and spark ideas.

Eight major research institutions in the Texas Medical Center comprise the Alliance for NanoHealth to bridge gaps between medicine, biology, materials science, computer technology and public policy to develop disease-treating devices.

The $174 million Galveston National Laboratory is one of two National Biocontainment Laboratories constructed with grants awarded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/National Institutes of Health.

The University of Texas Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases focuses on reducing the vulnerability of the U.S. from biological weapons, as well as alleviating suffering from emerging and tropical infectious diseases.

The Texas A&M Health Science Centers Institute of Biosciences and Technology provides a bridge between Texas A&M University System scientists, Texas Medical Center researchers and the growing biotechnology research community in Houston.

TECHNOLOGY


University of Houston Campus

(Pho

to b

y D

ebor

ah M

oste

rt, G

reat

er H

oust

on P

artn

ersh

ip)

Energy Houston is at the forefront of energy exploration; production technology; and research and development. Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell,

Baker Hughes, Schlumberger, FMC Technologies and Weatherford International are among the energy firms with major R&D laboratories in Houston.

Houstons depth in engineering talent has attracted renewable energy research and development to the region by traditional energy companies including Shell, BP, Chevron, Dow and GE, among many others.

The University of Houstons Composites Engineering & Applications Center was formed to undertake research in support of finding reliable and cost-beneficial composite materials for onshore and offshore operations.

Rice Universitys Processes in Porous Media Consortium focuses on research in enhanced oil recovery, decontamination of hazardous waste sites, and oil and gas exploration and production technologies.

The Offshore Technology Research Center, jointly operated by Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin, conducts engineering research and develops drilling, production and transportation systems for safe exploration of hydrocarbons in deepwater.

The University of Houstons Composites Engineering and Applications Center for Petroleum Exploration and Production conducts research on composites for engineering applications related to onshore and offshore exploration and production.

University Research University of Houston received more

than $106.8 million in total awards in FY 2012 for research areas including the physical and life sciences, engineering, technology, optometry and pharmacy.

Rice University received approximately $109 million in federal, state and private funds in FY 2012 to support research and training activities in fields including engineering, natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, business, architecture and music.

Technology Transfer Houston Technology Center

(HTC) is the center of technology entrepreneurship in Houston. The center has spawned 1,000 entrepreneurs who have raised $1 billion in capital.

University of Houston Center for Industrial Partnerships is a research and technology center that fosters collaborative efforts to solve technology challenges for Houstons business and industrial communities using UHs research and educational resources.

Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship is devoted to the support of technology commercialization, entrepreneurship education, and the launch of technology companies. Since 2000, the Rice Alliance has helped launch more than 1,400 startup companies, which have raised more than $2.7 billion in funding.

BioHouston, a nonprofit organization, fosters technology transfer and research commercialization. The BioHouston Research Center provides access to wet lab bench space, shared equipment, offices and tools for start-up companies.

NanotechnologyHouston companies and institutions are active in cutting-edge research and development, making the region a leader in nanotechnology. According to the Woodrow Wilson Institutes Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, Houston is one of the top 10 U.S. metro areas with significant research and commercialization related to nanotechnology.

The Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, named after the late Richard Smalley, whose work with fellow Rice professor Robert Curl led to a Nobel Prize-winning discovery that launched the nanotechnology era. Rice has been granted more than 200 patents related to nanotechnology and has applied for almost as many more.

The Department of Defenses Consortium for Nanomaterials for Aerospace Commerce and Technology, which is comprised of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Rice University, the University of Houston and five other Texas universities, focuses on developing and commercializing new nanomaterials for the defense aerospace industry.

Nanotech centers at the University of Houston include: The Nanosystems Manufacturing Center; The Center for Materials Chemistry; the nanoscience group at the Texas Center for Superconductivity; and The Center for Integrated Bio & Nano Systems.

GOVERNMENT

HOUSTON.ORG 25

GovernmentCity of Houston The City of Houston is a home

rule municipality, which provides the city with inherent powers to manage their own affairs with minimal interference from the state. The citys fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30.

The citys elected officials, serving concurrent two-year terms, are: the Mayor, the City Controller and the 16 members of City Council. No elected city official may serve in one position for more than three terms. Eleven council members are elected from single-member districts and five are elected citywide or at-large.

The citys adopted General Fund budget for fiscal year 2014 is $2,207,376,250.

Counties Each county in Texas is run by a five-member Commissioners Court consisting of four commissioners elected from single-member districts,

called commissioner precincts, and a county judge elected at-large or countywide. The county commissioners and county judge serve staggered four-year terms and are not term-limited.

Texas has 254 counties with Harris County being the most populous county in the state and the third most populous in the nation.

Houstons City Hall

(GH

P File Photo)

State Government The chief executive of the State of Texas is the governor. Other elected officials with executive responsibilities include the lieutenant

governor, attorney general, comptroller of public accounts, commissioner of the General Land Office and commissioner of agriculture. All of these elected offices have a term of four years.

The Texas Legislature has 181 members: 31 in the Senate, who are elected to four-year overlapping terms, and 150 in the House of Representatives, who are elected to two-year terms. Regular sessions of the state legislature convene on the second Tuesday of January in odd-numbered years. The Texas Constitution limits the regular session to 140 calendar days; however, the governor may call special sessions.

Legislative districts partly or entirely within the Houston MSA: State Senate: 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18

State House of Representatives: 3, 13, 15, 16, 18, 23-29, 126-135, 137-150

United States Congress Legislative districts partly or entirely within the Houston MSA:

U.S. House of Representatives: 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 18, 22, 29, 36

Council of Governments The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) is a voluntary association of local governments in the 13-county Gulf Coast Planning

Region. Organized in 1966, H-GAC has 131 local government members, including all 13 counties (Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Walker, Waller and Wharton), 107 cities and 11 school districts.

H-GAC is not an additional level of government, a regulatory agency or a taxing authority. Its activities are financed by local government dues; state appropriations; and through grants and contracts with local, state and federal entities.

The Councils mission is to serve as the instrument of local government cooperation, promoting the regions orderly development and the safety and welfare of its citizens.

Full Market Valueof Tax Roll 2013

Harris County: $417,154,682,628

City of Houston: $221,482,184,421

Houston ISD: $161,142,788,815

Source: Harris County Appraisal District

GOVERNMENT


The table below shows typical tax rates for property located within the city limits of Houston. The tax rates are expressed as dollars per $100 taxable value.

Sample Property Tax Rates

TAX JURISDICTION 2013 TAX RATE

State of Texas NoneCity of Houston $0.638750Harris County $0.636338Houston Independent School District $1.186700Houston Community College $0.097173TOTAL TAX RATE $2.558961

Taxation The maximum sales and use tax rate in the state of Texas is

8.25 percent (6.25 percent for the state and up to 2 percent for local jurisdictions); certain food and drug items are exempt.

Ad valorem property tax is the primary source of local government revenue in the Houston region.

2013 Vehicle Registrations in Harris County

CATEGORY* VOLUMECHANGE FROM 2012

NUMBER PERCENTPassenger Cars and Light Trucks (1 Ton or Less) 3,015,509 93,372 3.20%

Large Trucks (Over 1 Ton) 64,979 1,818 2.88%Buses 2,967 17 0.58%Trailers 89,162 2,742 3.17%Motorcycles 50,671 -1,134 -2.19%Miscellaneous (Truck Mounted Equipment) 61,221 -2,782 -4.35%

Other (Mopeds, Unknown) 353 -51 -12.62%TOTAL 3,284,862 93,982 2.95%*Categories as defined by Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.

Data provided by: TexAuto Facts, published by InfoNation, Inc. of Sugar Land, TexasSource: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Title Records, as of December 31 of the appropriate year.

Public SafetyHouston Police Department (HPD): HPDs budget for FY 2014 is $722.6 million. The budget calls for 5,172.0 full-time-equivalent (FTE) police personnel, 1,127.8 FTE

civilian personnel and 102.9 FTE police cadets in training.

HPDs 2013 estimated average response time was 4.7 minutes for priority one calls and 9.5 minutes for priority two calls.

In 2013, HPD processed an estimated 105,000 prisoners.

Harris County Sheriffs Office (HCSO): HCSO is the largest sheriffs office in Texas and the third

largest in the United States.

HCSOs FY2015 operating budget is $416 million. The Harris County Sheriffs Office provides law

enforcement protection in the unincorporated parts of the county, which constitutes some 1,700 square miles with 1.5 million residents and growing.

HCSO employs more than 4,400 salaried personnel of those more than 2,200 are certified peace officers and nearly 1,400 are detention officers that work in the jails. Additionally, it has more than 200 volunteer reserve deputies.

Crime Rates per 100,000 Population

Houston MSAViolent crimes 561.5Property crimes 3,578.5*Total crimes 4,140.0*2012 burglary counts were not available; 2011 counts were used as a substitute.

Source: 2012, FBI Uniform Crime Reports

Houston Fire Department (HFD): HFD is the nations third largest fire department with

92 fire stations equipped with 87 engine companies; 77 ambulances and advanced life support units; 37 aerial ladder trucks; three hazardous materials response units; and 13 evacuation and rescue boats.

In 2012, HFD performed 246,998 fire responses with an average response time of 7.25 minutes and 309,886 emergency medical service responses with an average response time of 7.5 minutes.

HFDs FY 2014 budget is $474.4 million and calls for 4,011.1 FTE employees, of whom 127.0 are civilians.

Harris County Fire Protection: In all, 54 fire departments operate in Harris County; 42 provide fire protection in unincorporated parts of the county, coordinated by the

Harris County Fire Marshal. In addition, 31 Emergency Service Districts provide fire protection, emergency medical service or both to specific areas within the county.

National Night Out with representatives from HPD Mounted Patrol, Houston Fire Department and Harris County Sheriffs Office

(Pho

to co

urte

sy o

f Hou

ston

Pol

ice

Dep

artm

ent)

EDUCATION

HOUSTON.ORG 27

Education

Selected* Houston-Area Independent School Districts (2013-2014)

School District

Number of Campuses

Fall 2013 Enrollment

Average Teacher Salary

Students per

Teacher Ratio

Graduate Degreed Faculty

(Percent)

Local Tax Base per Student ($000)

Operating Expenditure per Student

County

Aldine 76 67,381 $51,466 17.0 25.5 $195.6 $7,816 Harris

Alief 46 46,258 $52,244 14.7 26.6 $235.5 $8,554 Harris

Alvin 22 19,809 $51,502 16.4 21.3 $200.9 $7,940 Brazoria

Barbers Hill 8 4,688 $62,152 14.8 26.0 $665.0 $10,354 Chambers

Brazosport 20 12,389 $49,227 16.7 19.8 $512.6 $7,130 Brazoria

Clear Creek 44 39,998 $49,209 16.1 24.0 $392.4 $7,474 Galveston

Conroe 53 55,009 $50,927 16.7 26.3 $385.8 $6,835 Montgomery

Cypress-Fairbanks 81 111,440 $51,474 17.2 24.9 $315.9 $6,842 Harris

Dayton 9 5,082 $45,081 16.2 18.6 $268.1 $7,511 Liberty

Deer Park 14 13,015 $54,585 15.6 30.8 $531.9 $14,009 Harris

Fort Bend 73 70,931 $52,722 17.2 29.7 $338.6 $7,511 Fort Bend

Galena Park 24 22,572 $49,754 14.9 30.9 $260.2 $8,443 Harris

Goose Creek 26 22,320 $53,414 15.8 25.7 $377.9 $8,746 Harris

Houston 282 211,552 $51,922 18.5 30.9 $520.5 $8,423 Harris

Humble 42 38,235 $49,153 15.8 24.1 $275.2 $7,664 Harris

Katy 59 67,213 $51,797 15.8 23.5 $313.8 $7,403 Harris

Klein 45 48,253 $52,400 15.6 25.8 $272.9 $7,714 Harris

Lamar 36 27,079 $52,905 17.6 23.5 $392.1 $7,950 Fort Bend

Magnolia 16 12,208 $49,605 15.7 21.8 $291.6 $7,292 Montgomery

New Caney 17 12,319 $48,260 15.4 20.2 $187.4 $8,277 Montgomery

Pasadena 61 54,535 $51,331 15.6 20.9 $184.9 $8,504 Harris

Pearland 24 20,034 $49,510 17.5 23.1 $290.7 $6,799 Brazoria

Sealy 4 2,771 $48,136 14.5 12.6 $402.7 $8,487 Austin

Spring 38 36,484 $48,555 16.8 23.5 $200.3 $7,487 Harris

Spring Branch 45 35,312 $52,161 15.9 25.9 $565.2 $8,346 Harris

Tomball 14 12,499 $52,137 16.5 22.8 $462.6 $7,851 Harris

Waller 8 5,909 $49,449 16.7 20.9 $315.3 $8,146 Waller

* The list includes all ISDs with enrollment greater than 10,000, plus the largest ISD in each Houston MSA county with no ISD as large as 10,000.

Source: Texas Education Agency, 2013-2014 Student Enrollment Reports and 2013 Snapshot: School District Profiles

Schools Houston Independent School District (HISD), with 2013

enrollment of 211,552 students, is the seventh-largest public school system in the nation and the largest in Texas. Encompassing 301 square miles within greater Houston, HISD has 282 campuses: 9 early childhood centers; 147 elementary schools; 40 middle schools; 44 high schools; and 42 combined/other campuses.

The Houston MSA contains 62 school districts and 50 state-approved charter schools that reported 2013 enrollment of 1,252,660 students, of whom 868,475 were in the 19 districts and 45 charter schools largely or entirely in Harris County.

Educational opportunity at the Childrens Museum of Houston

(Photo courtesy of GH

CVB)

EDUCATION


Colleges and Universities The Houston region has approximately 380,000 students in more than 60 degree-granting colleges, universities and technical schools.

Rice University campus

Universities Fall 2013 EnrollmentTexas A&M University 53,219

University of Houston 39,540

Sam Houston State University 19,210

University of Houston-Downtown 13,754

Texas Southern University 8,703

Prairie View A&M University 8,250

University of Houston-Clear Lake 8,164

Rice University 6,628

University of St. Thomas 3,589

Houston Baptist University 2,589

Texas A&M University at Galveston 2,174

Texas Womans University-Houston 1,262

TOTAL ENROLLMENT 167,082

Community Colleges Fall 2013 EnrollmentLone Star College System 70,665

Houston Community College System 48,003

San Jacinto College District 32,471

Blinn College 18,266

Wharton County Junior College 7,386

Lee College 5,911

Alvin Community College 5,191

College of the Mainland 4,188

Brazosport College 4,129

Galveston College 2,130


Medical Schools and Colleges Fall 2013 Enrollment University of Texas Health Science Center 4,615

University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

3,112

Texas A&M University Health Science Center 2,417

Baylor College of Medicine 1,549

University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center 317


Specialized schools and satellite campuses in the Houston region include: American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine; American InterContinental University; Art Institute of Houston; Belhaven University; Center for Advance Legal Studies; College of Biblical Studies; College of Health Care Professions; Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service; Concordia University-Houston Campus; Culinary Institute LeNotre; DeVry University-Houston; Fortis College; Houston Graduate School of Theology; ITT Technical Institute; LeTourneau University; Our Lady of the Lake University-Houston; Remington College; Sanford-Brown College & Institute; SMU Perkins School of Theology; South Texas College of Law; Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Texas Chiropractic College; Texas School of Business; Universal Technical Institute-Houston; University of Phoenix-Houston Campus; and Westwood College.

In addition, the region has some 100 trade, vocational and business schools.

Tier One research universities in the Houston region include: Rice University, University of Houston and Texas A&M University.

(Pho

to co

urte

sy o

f Gre

ater

Hou

ston

Con

vent

ion

& Vi

sito

rs B

urea

u)

EDUCATION

HOUSTON.ORG 29

UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGES AND MEDICAL SCHOOLS

Selected Library SystemsHouston Public Library (HPL): The Houston Public Library is comprised of 44 public

service units including: 31 neighborhood libraries, four regional libraries, three special collection libraries, four express libraries, the HPL Mobile Express and a satellite library located at the Childrens Museum of Houston.

HPL had the following activity in fiscal year 2013:Total Circulation 6,379,124Total Items in Collection 3,700,000Reference Questions Answered 738,407

Harris County Public Library (HCPL): Harris County Public Library is a system of 26

community focused branch libraries offering free access to technology and information assistance; literacy and educational programs for all ages; and reading and reference materials in multiple formats.

HCPL had the following activity in fiscal year 2013:Total Circulation 9,758,250Total Items in Collection 2,225,748Active Borrowers 1,188,234Reference Questions Answered 1,303,167


Houston Public Librarys Julia Ideson Building - Houston Metropolitan Research Center



INFRASTRUCTURE


Infrastructure

Telecommunications: Four overlaid area codes serve the Houston area: 281, 713, 832 and 346. Phone calls placed within or between these area codes are local calls, but must be placed with the full 10-digit phone number.

The Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUC) has certified 403 active Competitive Local Exchange Carriers to provide local phone service in the state. Principal among the Houston areas local service providers are AT&T, Birch, CBeyond, Comcast, Grande, Logix, Verizon and XO Communications.

The Texas PUC has registered 350 active Interexchange Carriers to provide long distance phone service for residents and businesses in Texas. More than a dozen cellular service providers offer mobile voice and data communications in the Houston MSA. Major cellular firms with a

Houston presence include AT&T, Cricket, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.

Public UtilitiesElectricity and Natural Gas:Headquartered in Houston, CenterPoint Energy (CNP) is a domestic energy delivery company that includes electric transmission and distribution; natural gas distribution; competitive natural gas sales and services; interstate pipelines; and field services operations.

CenterPoints assets total more than $22.8 billion. They employ approximately 8,700 employees, with nearly 5,000 in Houston.

In Texas competitive electric market, CNP is the regulated transmission and distribution service provider serving the Houston area.

In 2013, CenterPoint Energy delivered 79.5 million megawatt hours of electricity to 1,965,002 residential, 276,101 commercial, 772 municipal and 2,033 industrial customers in its 5,000 square mile service area in the Houston region.

In 2013, CNP delivered natural gas to 1,489,017 residential and 91,756 commercial/industrial customers in the Houston area.

The Texas PUC has certified 115 Retail Electric Providers who sell electricity to retail customers in the areas of Texas where the sale of electricity is open to retail competition.

Water: Water supply now available or under development will meet Houstons needs beyond 2050.

The San Jacinto River Basin of Lakes Houston and Conroe provides the City an estimated firm yield of 258 million gallons per day (mgd); wells add approximately 253 mgd.

The City owns water rights to 914 mgd of the Trinity River Basin from Lake Livingston, Wallisville Reservoir, Southern Canal and the Dayton Canal.

In the past three years, the City of Houston has, on average, used approximately 220 mgd of industrial water and 450 mgd of treated water. Groundwater accounted for approximately 16 percent of treated water. Lake Livingston accounted for 72 percent of the surface water used

by the City; Lake Houston supplies 15 percent; and the remaining 13 percent comes from different permitted sources.

Most major Houston Ship Channel industries have contracted to take at least 90 percent of their water from the Citys Trinity River system. The City of Houstons East Water Purification Plant has a design capacity of 350 mgd. The Southeast Water Purification Plant has a design

capacity of 200 mgd. The Northeast Water Purification Plant at Lake Houston has a capacity of 80 mgd and is planned to be expanded by approximately 460 mgd by 2040.

Wastewater:The City of Houston operates 40 wastewater treatment plants; 13 biosolid processing units; three wet weather facilities; and 383 sanitary lift stations. It maintains 6,950 miles of sanitary sewer lines with more than 440,000 connections.

Average wastewater treatment flow is 224 million gallons per day (mgd); permitted treatment capacity is 563 mgd.

(Pho

to co

urte

sy o

f Cen

terP

oint

Ene

rgy)

CenterPoint Energy linemen working on electric power lines

INFRASTRUCTURE

HOUSTON.ORG 31

TransportationMotor Freight Lines: 884 long-distance trucking establishments operate in the Houston MSA, including special-commodity irregular carriers (e.g., oilfield

equipment haulers, tank-truck lines, household carriers) and common carriers operating daily scheduled service between Houston and other major U.S. cities.

Railroads: The Houston area is served by BNSF Railway Company, Kansas City Southern Railway Company, and Union Pacific Railroad Company.

Businesses along the Houston ship channel are served by the Port Terminal Railroad Association.

Fourteen mainline tracks radiate from Houston. Typical commodities shipped via rail through Houston include chemicals, plastics, grain, forest products, coal, minerals and steel.

Amtrak provides passenger service for Houston on the Sunset Limited, which serves the New Orleans-San Antonio-Los Angeles route.

Intracoastal Waterway: 406 miles of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway the Texas portion parallels the Texas coast. The main channel is 12 deep and 125 wide. The

entire Gulf Intracoastal Waterway spans 1,300 miles from Brownsville, Texas to St. Marks, Florida.

In 2011, Texas portion of the Gulf Coast Intercoastal Waterway facilitated the transportation of 74,651,503 short tons of cargo. Principal commodities shipped via Texas portion of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway include: crude petroleum and petroleum products

(49,200,699 short tons); chemicals (18,189,560 short tons); soil, sand, gravel, rock and stone (1,946,315 short tons); primary iron and steel products (1,542,646 short tons); and waste and scrap (487,737 short tons).

Freeways, Highways and Toll Roads: In the Houston MSA, 4,206.41 lane miles of freeways and expressways are in operation.

Harris Countys freeway/tollroad system totals 2,490.63 lane miles. High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes: According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Houston has more miles of HOV

lanes than any other U.S. city. There are currently 118.42 miles of HOV lanes on Houston freeways, which include U.S. 59, Interstate 45, U.S. 290 and Interstate 10.

Arterials: Houston has an excellent network of primary, secondary and state farm-to-market highways. The Houston MSA in FY 2013 had 72,542 lane miles of public roads, streets and highways, of which 37,352 are in Harris County.

Highway Spending: In FY 2015, the Texas Department of Transportation - Houston District has $1.0 billion in planned projects to let, versus $818.2 million in

planned projects during FY 2014. From September 2013 to April 2014, a total of $977.6 million in projects had already been let.

Date post:	01-Apr-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	greater-houston-partnership
View:	230 times
Download:	8 times

Houston Facts 2014

Documents