The excess of births over deaths in the metropolitan area is around 24,000 a year, and each year around 21,000 more persons move to Houston than move away from it. Thus the metropolitan area’s population increases by an estimated 45,000 persons a year—a conservative figure.
Of the 1,243,158 persons living in the metropolitan area at the time of the 1960 census, 634,522 were females and 608,636 were males, giving females a lead of 25,886.
In 1960, 94.5 per cent of the population was urban, 5.5 per cent was rural.
The density of population was 726.6 persons a square mile.
| Population of Houston (Corporate Limits Only) U.S. Census | Percentage of Increase | |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 2,396 | |
| 1860 | 4,845 | 102.2 |
| 1870 | 9,332 | 92.6 |
| 1880 | 16,513 | 76.9 |
| 1890 | 27,557 | 66.8 |
| 1900 | 44,633 | 61.9 |
| 1910 | 78,800 | 76.5 |
| 1920 | 138,276 | 75.4 |
| 1930 | 292,352 | 111.4 |
| 1940 | 384,514 | 31.5 |
| 1950 | 596,163 | 55.0 |
| 1960 | 938,219 | 57.3 |
| Population of Metropolitan Houston (Harris County) | Percentage of Increase | |
| 1850 | 4,668 | |
| 1860 | 9,070 | 94.3 |
| 1870 | 17,375 | 91.5 |
| 188 | 27,985 | 61.0 |
| 1890 | 37,249 | 33.1 |
| 1900 | 63,786 | 71.2 |
| 1910 | 115,693 | 81.3 |
| 1920 | 186,667 | 61.3 |
| 1930 | 359,328 | 92.5 |
| 1940 | 528,961 | 47.2 |
| 1950 | 806,701 | 52.5 |
| 1960 | 1,243,158 | 54.1 |
Work in Progress
Cullen Center
Domed Sports Stadium