What is Houston's Estimated Population as of 2006?

[Barney Gumble]

Just a curious thought but does anyone know what the estimated population of Houston is now with the influx of Katrina refugees?

2.2 million

2.5 million+

And what is Chicago's population?

[editor]

Chicago's 2004 population estimate is 2,719,290.

Houston's 2004 population estimate was 1,946,484; but with Katrina who knows what it is now.

[Lowbrow]

While we look ahead to Chicago, don't forget to look behind us and check out Phoenix. If they havent already passed Philly they will soon and they are growing quicker than we are.

Projecting using the numbers from 2000-2004 growth (all things remaining equal) we would pass Chicago in 2040, which would be the same year that Pheonix passed us and about eight years later San Antonio would pass us.

Not that I put much confidence in either all things remaining equal or that those numbers are at all accurate. Just interesting.

Edited March 27, 2006 by Lowbrow

[Gary]

Chicago's 2004 population estimate is 2,719,290.

Houston's 2004 population estimate was 1,946,484; but with Katrina who knows what it is now.

Actually, the US census bureu's 2004 estimate has Houston at 2,012,686, and Chicago at 2,862,044. Interesting thing to me, is that Chi-Town has steadily been decreasing in population. Of course with Katrina we should add roughly 150,000 to Houston's number.

Pheonix still has a long way to catch up to Houston at 1,418,041, and it's not growing that much faster according to the census website.

Edited March 27, 2006 by Gary

[CE_ugh]

Actually, the US census bureu's 2004 estimate has Houston at 2,012,686, and Chicago at 2,862,044. Interesting thing to me, is that Chi-Town has steadily been decreasing in population. Of course with Katrina we should add roughly 150,000 to Houston's number.

Pheonix still has a long way to catch up to Houston at 1,418,041, and it's not growing that much faster according to the census website.

Also theres only so much water in the desert.

[RedScare]

The City of Houston Planning Dept. estimated the population on Jan. 1, 2005 at 2,060,000. Add in 150,000 New Orleanians plus new arrivals, and it could already be at 2 and a quarter million.

Note, these are not Census estimates. Because the Census estimates are based on July 1, Katrina population won't come out for another year.

[nmainguy]

Also theres only so much water in the desert.

AHHHH! Someone finally hits the nail on the head.

Thank you CE for yanking us all back to reality.

[CE_ugh]

AHHHH! Someone finally hits the nail on the head.

Thank you CE for yanking us all back to reality.

Our outlook isnt so rosy too. We are lucky that Houston and southern and eastern communities get most of their water from Lake Houston. Cities like New York and L.A have to go hundreds of miles away to fine reliable sources of water. If Houston was to grow by another million people or a severe drought struck; the strain on Lake Houston would be too much and we would have to go look elsewhere for water.

Add on to that the fact that communities like Jersey Village and Katy still rely on groundwater and have experienced dramatic subsidence over the last 10 years. It's a fairly major problem that has been regretably overlooked.

[nmainguy]

Our outlook isnt so rosy too. We are lucky that Houston and southern and eastern communities get most of their water from Lake Houston.

...and don't forget lakes Livingston and Conroe...a far better supply than a desert community like Pheonix.

BTW..does anyone have any info on what if anything is going on with Wallisville?

[RedScare]

From the City of Houston website:

"The City of Houston obtains 65 percent of its drinking water from the San Jacinto River through Lake Conroe and Lake Houston, and the Trinity River through Lake Livingston. Currently, 35% of our water comes from very deep wells from the Evangeline and Chicot Aquifers."

Houston and surrounding communities are moving from groundwater to surface water, as required by law. Houston is providing treated surface water to many of the surrounding communities through interlocal agreements. Essentially, they pay the city to provide water at a certain point. They then have to pipe it into their system.

[editor]

Actually, the US census bureu's 2004 estimate has Houston at 2,012,686, and Chicago at 2,862,044.

I got my numbers directly from the Census web site. Clicked on American Factfinder. Typed in the city names and clicked "2004." Is there a better source for these numbers?

[CE_ugh]

From the City of Houston website:

"The City of Houston obtains 65 percent of its drinking water from the San Jacinto River through Lake Conroe and Lake Houston, and the Trinity River through Lake Livingston. Currently, 35% of our water comes from very deep wells from the Evangeline and Chicot Aquifers."

Houston and surrounding communities are moving from groundwater to surface water, as required by law. Houston is providing treated surface water to many of the surrounding communities through interlocal agreements. Essentially, they pay the city to provide water at a certain point. They then have to pipe it into their system.

That regulation extends only to communities east of 59, per my Geology professor in 2002. I was unaware that we got water from Lake Livingston although it makes sense.

The water resource guys around here are always gloom and doom

[Guest Plastic]

PEople fortgoet the entire city or metropolitan area. While we may have 2 million in The City Of Houston we have over 5 million in the greater area. Chicago has about 8.

[RedScare]

That regulation extends only to communities east of 59, per my Geology professor in 2002. I was unaware that we got water from Lake Livingston although it makes sense.

The water resource guys around here are always gloom and doom

CE ugh, I'm not sure what your prof is talking about. The North Harris County Regional Water Authority was created 3-4 years ago to convert all of the North and Northwest Harris County MUDs to surface water. There was a lot of debate and beating of chests about where they would get their water, due to water rights issues. Eventually, they decided to buy it from Houston. This works well for the City as well, due to economies of scale.

Click here for a map of the area served,

NHCRWA

[The Great Hizzy!]

Aren't we just filled with facts!

[Gary]

Our outlook isnt so rosy too. We are lucky that Houston and southern and eastern communities get most of their water from Lake Houston. Cities like New York and L.A have to go hundreds of miles away to fine reliable sources of water. If Houston was to grow by another million people or a severe drought struck; the strain on Lake Houston would be too much and we would have to go look elsewhere for water.

Add on to that the fact that communities like Jersey Village and Katy still rely on groundwater and have experienced dramatic subsidence over the last 10 years. It's a fairly major problem that has been regretably overlooked.

Our water issues are not close to those found in Vegas, Phoenix etc. To give you an example of my limited knowledge of the subject.... I've got a friend who owns a home in Vegas and it's illegal to water plants, lawn etc. In fact most of the new residential developments are putting in pea gravel or river rock in place of what would be a lawn.

[brijonmang]

our water issues are no where similar, even when we are in droughts. the whole desert southwest relies on zero-scaping (designing landscapes that have little or need of watering).

[CE_ugh]

our water issues are no where similar, even when we are in droughts. the whole desert southwest relies on zero-scaping (designing landscapes that have little or need of watering).

Thats right but if we were to add another million people to the existing population, we are definetly going to need more water.

[brijonmang]

true...maybe in the future we will be able to find an easier and CHEAPER way to desalinze water. right now its not economically justified.

[houstonmacbro]

Our outlook isnt so rosy too. We are lucky that Houston and southern and eastern communities get most of their water from Lake Houston. Cities like New York and L.A have to go hundreds of miles away to fine reliable sources of water. If Houston was to grow by another million people or a severe drought struck; the strain on Lake Houston would be too much and we would have to go look elsewhere for water.

Add on to that the fact that communities like Jersey Village and Katy still rely on groundwater and have experienced dramatic subsidence over the last 10 years. It's a fairly major problem that has been regretably overlooked.

do the population figures include only the city PROPER, or do they include all the houston area communities such as those you mentioned, the woodlands, katy, sugar land, etc.?

[Original Timmy Chan's]

true...maybe in the future we will be able to find an easier and CHEAPER way to desalinze water. right now its not economically justified.

I believe El Paso/Juarez uses desalinization plants to treat brackish groundwater. It's also my understanding that they are a leader in wastewater reuse.

Due to our annual precipitation numbers, Houston's in good shape, water-wise...I think Houston also has some water rights on the Brazos River, in addition to the Trinity and San Jacinto.

If future needs require it, an obvious solution to Houston's water supply would be to go to wastewater reuse/recycling. People are generally disgusted by the idea, but truth is, we're already reusing Dallas' (and numerous other cities downstream) treated wastewater, which is discharged into the Trinity River. I would bet that the treated wastewater effluent leaving a treatment plant is cleaner than the runoff from the thousands of square miles of cow pastures between Dallas and Houston, which is untreated.

Other ways of reducing potable water needs is to use treated wastewater effluent for irrigation/lawn watering. It would require a separate distribution system to pipe the effluent out to the subdivisions, but it would greatly reduce water demand, since lawn watering is one of the largest uses of potable water in Houston.

[TheNiche]

I believe El Paso/Juarez uses desalinization plants to treat brackish groundwater. It's also my understanding that they are a leader in wastewater reuse.

Due to our annual precipitation numbers, Houston's in good shape, water-wise...I think Houston also has some water rights on the Brazos River, in addition to the Trinity and San Jacinto.

If future needs require it, an obvious solution to Houston's water supply would be to go to wastewater reuse/recycling. People are generally disgusted by the idea, but truth is, we're already reusing Dallas' (and numerous other cities downstream) treated wastewater, which is discharged into the Trinity River. I would bet that the treated wastewater effluent leaving a treatment plant is cleaner than the runoff from the thousands of square miles of cow pastures between Dallas and Houston, which is untreated.

Other ways of reducing potable water needs is to use treated wastewater effluent for irrigation/lawn watering. It would require a separate distribution system to pipe the effluent out to the subdivisions, but it would greatly reduce water demand, since lawn watering is one of the largest uses of potable water in Houston.

Excellent points, all of them. You are correct about us having water rights in many different rivers. And most of the southern communities are supplied by a canal that branches off of the Brazos River and ends in Texas City. My understanding is that we've also got water rights as far out as Eagle Lake...but that'd be hearsay.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Excellent points, all of them. You are correct about us having water rights in many different rivers. And most of the southern communities are supplied by a canal that branches off of the Brazos River and ends in Texas City. My understanding is that we've also got water rights as far out as Eagle Lake...but that'd be hearsay.

Yes, Galveston and Texas are served by the Gulf Coast Water Authority, which operates canals that bring water from the Brazos River (or Oyster Creek?) south of Sugar Land all the way over to the Galveston Bay Area. A simple, but pretty amazing system of canals...

[Houston19514]

I got my numbers directly from the Census web site. Clicked on American Factfinder. Typed in the city names and clicked "2004." Is there a better source for these numbers?

We've been over this before in another thread:

The problem is that your 2004 numbers are taken from the "American Community Survey" which "is limited to the household population and excludes the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters." Thus it is not really comparable to the "census" numbers or census estimates.

The 2004 Census estimates are:

Chicago: 2,862,244

Houston: 2,012,626