City · Minnesota
Houston, Minnesota
Houston, city, in Houston County, Minnesota. Houston had 970 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 997 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 982 (±129). GEOID 2730230.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
970
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 997 · ACS 2020-2024: 982 ±129
Median household income
$55,759
±$4,963 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$180,100
±$19,064 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$928
±$50 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Houston and what county is it in?
Houston is a city in Houston County, Minnesota. It covers 1.2 square miles of land, 810 residents per square mile in 2020.
Houston is in the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Houston, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 970 people lived in Houston on July 1, 2025, down 3.0% since 2020, while Minnesota grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 997 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 982 (±129).
| Measure | Houston | Houston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 982 ±129 | 18,653 | no clear change |
| Households | 369 ±62 | 8,134 | −110 |
| Average household size | 2.52 ±0.23 | 2.26 | +0.46 |
| Housing units | 407 ±59 | 8,774 | −95 |
Houston's population since 2000
From 1,020 in 2000 to 970 in 2025: down 4.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Houston as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Houston?
The median resident of Houston is 32.8 years old; 31.0% are under 18 and 20.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.6%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 9.6%.
| Measure | Houston | Houston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.8 ±5.5 | 45.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 31.0% ±4.0 pts | 21.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.1% ±4.4 pts | 23.6% | – |
| Male | 48.3% ±4.5 pts | 50.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.4% ±1.3 pts | 1.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 87.6% ±4.6 pts | 93.5% | −9.9 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.2% ±1.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 9.6% ±4.2 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.6% ±1.3 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.2% ±0.5 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.9% ±3.2 pts | 6.7% | – |
| With a disability | 10.9% ±3.0 pts | 11.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 3.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 96.3% ±3.2 pts | 95.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 23.3% ±5.8 pts | 30.1% | +7.7 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 14.0% ±5.6 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 79.4% ±5.5 pts | 91.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 2.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Houston earn?
Half of Houston's 369 households earn less than $55,759 a year (±$4,963), against $79,825 in Houston County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $53,404 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 19.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Houston | Houston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,759 ±$4,963 | $79,825 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $72,355 ±$9,470 | $101,996 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,295 ±$3,749 | $44,963 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 19.4% ±6.5 pts | 6.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 33.8% ±13.9 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 12.5% ±4.2 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.1% ±3.5 pts | 93.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.2% ±3.9 pts | 87.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Houston?
Owners occupy 76.4% of Houston's occupied homes and renters 23.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $180,100 by its owner (±$19,064). The median renter pays $928 a month including utilities, and 49.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Houston | Houston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $180,100 ±$19,064 | $239,000 | +$52,600 |
| Median gross rent | $928 ±$50 | $879 | +$142 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 49.4% ±15.8 pts | 36.5% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,372 ±$134 | $1,697 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 76.4% ±6.8 pts | 83.4% | +17.7 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 23.6% ±6.8 pts | 16.6% | – |
| Housing units | 407 ±59 | 8,774 | −95 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±7.7 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 9.4% ±14.0 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 83.3% ±5.9 pts | 85.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±5.4 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.1% ±4.5 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 42.5% ±8.6 pts | 24.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.4% ±2.3 pts | 3.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Houston building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Houston in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 1.0 per 1,000 residents against 3.6 across Minnesota.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Houston work and get to work?
69.8% of Houston's workers drive alone and 10.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 28.0 minutes.
| Measure | Houston | Houston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 64.6% ±5.9 pts | 64.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% ±3.8 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 69.8% ±8.3 pts | 75.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 10.4% ±4.9 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.9% ±1.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 8.4% ±4.7 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 10.0% ±4.2 pts | 13.6% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.0 min ±5.6 | 23.8 min | +9.8 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Houston?
No census tract lies mostly in Houston; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 203Houston County | 2,607 | $82,778 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Houston) · Census block assignment files
How does Houston compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Houston is the 10,398th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 363rd-most populous of 855 in Minnesota.
Houston is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 363rd | 855 |
Houston's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Houston with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Houston?
17 of the 57 figures for Houston on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Houston are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Houston.