About the Archive
The Journal of Houston is an independent civic and industrial data project. We aim to aggregate, clean, and provide context for the physical and economic metrics that define the nation's fourth-largest city.
Houston is notoriously difficult to parse. It lacks zoning, sprawls across nine counties, and its economic engines (the port, the refineries, the medical center) operate at scales that defy standard urban comparisons.
This archive exists to document those structural realities without civic boosterism. All data is sourced from primary municipal, state, and federal reporting entities (BEA, BLS, Census Bureau, Port of Houston Authority, Texas Railroad Commission) and cited accordingly.
Note: We are entirely independent and not affiliated with the City of Houston, the Greater Houston Partnership, or any municipal entity.