Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1850	2,396		—
1860	4,845		102.2%
1870	9,332		92.6%
1880	16,513		77.0%
1890	27,557		66.9%
1900	44,633		62.0%
1910	78,800		76.6%
1920	138,276		75.5%
1930	292,352		111.4%
1940	384,514		31.5%
1950	596,163		55.0%
1960	938,219		57.4%
1970	1,232,802		31.4%
1980	1,595,138		29.4%
1990	1,630,553		2.2%
2000	1,953,631		19.8%
2010	2,099,451		7.5%

The annual Houston International Festival spotlights a different culture each year

Houston is a multicultural city, in part because of its many academic institutions and strong industries as well as being a major port city. Over ninety languages are spoken in the city. Houston has among the youngest populations in the nation, partly due to an influx of immigrants into Texas. The city has the third-largest Hispanic and third-largest Mexican population in the United States. It also has more Hispanics than any other city in Texas. An estimated 400,000 illegal aliens reside in the Greater Houston area.Houston has some of the largest Indian and Pakistani communities in the United States. The Nigerian community of Houston, estimated to be over 2.0% of the city's population, is the largest in the United States.

According to the 2010 Census, Whites made up 50.5% of Houston's population, of which 25.6% were non-Hispanic whites. Blacks or African Americans made up 23.7% of Houston's population. American Indians made up 0.7% of Houston's population. Asians made up 6.0% of Houston's population while Pacific Islanders made up 0.1%. Individuals from some other race made up 15.2% of the city's population, of which 0.2% were non-Hispanic. Individuals from two or more races made up 3.3% of the city's population. People ofHispanic or Latino origin made up 43.8% of Houston's population.

As of the 2000 Census, there were 1,953,631 people and the population density was 3,371.7 people per square mile (1,301.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 49.3% White, 25.3% African American, 5.3% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 16.5% from some other race, and 3.1% from two or more races. In addition, Hispanics and Latinos made up 37.4% of Houston's population while non-Hispanic whites made up 30.8%.

There were 717,945 households out of which 33.1 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2 percent were married couples living together, 15.3 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3 percent were non-families. Twenty-nine percent of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.39. The median house price was $115,961 in 2009.

In the city, the population was spread out with 27.5 percent under the age of 18, 11.2 percent from 18 to 24, 33.8 percent from 25 to 44, 19.1 percent from 45 to 64, and 8.4 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,616, and the median income for a family was $40,443. Males had a median income of $32,084 versus $27,371 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,101. Nineteen percent of the population and 16 percent of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 26.1 percent of those under the age of 18 and 14.3 percent of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Houston has a large number of immigrants from Asia, including the largest Vietnamese American population in Texas and third-largest in the United States, with 30,000 people in 2007. Some parts of the city with high populations of Vietnamese and Chinese residents have Chinese and Vietnamese street signs, in addition to English ones. Houston has two Chinatowns: the original located in East Downtown, and the more recent one is in the southwest area of the city. The city has a Little Saigon in Midtown and Vietnamese businesses located in the southwest area of Houston's Chinatown. The Mahatma Gandhi District—a "Little India" community—exists along Hillcroft Avenue.

Houston has a large gay community concentrated primarily in and around Neartown and Houston Heights. It is estimated that the Houston metropolitan area has the twelfth-largest number of lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals in the United States. With the election of Annise Parker in 2009, Houston became the largest city in the United States to have an openly gay mayor.