Report Finds Rising Poverty in Greater Houston

Ryan Holeywell shares the results of a new study into the expanding footprint of poverty [pdf] in the region anchored by Houston, Texas—a region even very recently "seen as an economic juggernaut and perhaps a model for cities in the U.S. Sun Belt."

In Harris County, which surrounds Houston, we see a troubling trend: Poverty is on the rise. The poverty rate here increased from 10 percent in 1980 to 17 percent today.

The poverty data breaks down to census tract level. "Today, 39 percent of the census tracts in Harris County are classified as 'high-poverty,'" writes Holleywell, adding that the rate it which Houston's high poverty are growing is twice as fast as the national average.

Supplementing the narrative presented by Holleywell are an infographic and several maps of poverty concentration and class and income diversity in Harris County.