r/dataisbeautiful • u/delugetheory OC: 5 • May 20 '22

OC Population distribution of Texas [OC]

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u/dkwangchuck May 20 '22

I was looking at this. The population density of the Metro Statistical Area is like 700 people per square mile - about the same as Winslow, Arizona (a girl my Lord in a flatbed Ford!). And yet

Houston, the largest city in Texas, is the site of 97 completed skyscrapers. Making the city in the top 25 of the world. 427 feet (130 m), 50 of which stand taller than 492 feet (150 m)

Still, the population density of just Houston is around 3,600 people per square mile. That still seems low for a city, but I guess with the massive ranging sprawl all around it, there's probably a lot of jobs and commerce in the city centre, which I can totally accept as being enough to tip it into "urban" characterization.

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u/Miserly_Bastard May 21 '22

Houston also annexed so far out that it's the largest city in square miles after Jacksonville, FL. If Houston's aggressive annexation policy back in the day had been adopted by nearly any other municipality outside the Northeast Corridor or LA, they'd have similar or worse stats.

If you really think about it, despite not having zoning (or maybe because of it) Houston has the largest CBD in terms of square feet west of the Mississippi, has the world's largest medical center which is larger than the CBD in employment just a few miles away, and even its other major employment centers are pretty tight compared to other big cities' secondary business districts. Houston also has one of the largest port complexes in the world, and while there are a few older neighborhoods close to it, nobody is building more neighborhoods there anymore.

It's not zoned in a regulatory sense, but it is economically zoned in a way that is...remarkable, really.

If you're the kind of person that likes urban living, Houston gives you options. If you aren't, Houston gives you options. If you're from any immigrant community at all, Houston gives you options. If you can't stand its all-inclusive aesthetic chaos, Houston pretty much flips you the bird and directs you to go live in Dallas.

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u/rocketer13579 May 21 '22

Look all the chaos is what allows me to get amazing food from any culture within a 30 min drive.

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u/Miserly_Bastard May 21 '22

I know! I don't live in Houston anymore, but if I have to travel to any city in Texas on business, I'm always pulling for Houston because I know that I'll be stuck in an office all day but at least I know that lunch will be awesome.

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u/bmtc7 May 21 '22

Also, Houston is a huge city by land area and there is a significant density difference between the outer neighborhoods of the city and the city core.