IXI Market Insights in Action

Several counties in the Houston, TX metro area are among the fastest growing counties in terms of population in the nation. Harris County, TX grew by over 90,390 residents in 2009, the largest net population change of any U.S. county in that year. Another Houston metro county, Fort Bend County, saw the 16th largest population change.

• Financial Assets: Total financial assets in the Houston metro area rose by $46 billion, arising from an increase in stock equities holdings of $21 billion and an increase of $18 billion in mutual fund holdings. Average total financial assets among households with asset accounts in Harris County, TX, the largest county in Houston, rose $18,575 in 2010.
• Bankcard Balance: The average bankcard balance in December 2010 in Fort Bend County, TX was $2,183, the lowest of the three largest counties in the greater Houston Metro area, yet still higher than the nation’s average at $2,069.
• Income: Average household incomes in Harris County, TX were stagnant in 2010 at around $99,100, while households in neighboring counties Fort Bend and Montgomery saw incomes rise an average of $20,000 (to about $140,000) and $12,000 (to $119,000), respectively. Across the Houston metro area, average household income rose $2,000 in 2010.
• Student Loans: At the end of 2010, the average total student loan debt among Houstonian households with such loans was $30,150. The average size of each student loan was $7,800. The share of student loans 120 days past due or in collections has remained steady throughout the Great Recession and recovery to date.

Houston’s rapid growth is due to its seemingly recession-proof economy. It is home to the most Fortune 500 corporate headquarters after New York City, its port ranks first in the U.S. in international commerce handled, its petrochemical industry is booming, it has the world’s largest medical treatment and research center, and it is home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, also known as Mission Control.