The Differences Between Harris County and Houston [2024]

Just as hair salons and barber shops are similar yet different, the same is true for Harris County & Houston. Except, many do not know the difference between the two.

Don’t be quick to rush to your nearest bookstore just yet to grab a geography book explaining the difference. We’ve provided you with an easy guide explaining the differences between Harris County & Houston right here!

What is the difference between Harris County & Houston?

Harris County ranks third on the most populated counties in the United States, comprising different cities. Houston is one of the cities that are part of Harris County.

How many residents are in Harris County?

As of this year’s United States census results, Harris County’s population is 4,813,160, with a steady growth rate of 0.70%. This increase in growth helps make Harris County the largest county in Texas.

How many residents are in Houston?

According to the recent census, Houston’s estimated population is approximately 2,307,345.

Is Harris County bigger than Houston?

Harris County is bigger than Houston, especially as Houston is just one of the cities within it.

The total area that Harris County covers is 1,778 square miles—making it larger than the entire state of Rhode Island.

On the other hand, Houston covers a total area of 665 square miles, making it bigger than such populated cities like Los Angeles, New York, and San Diego.

Cities in Harris County

The cities in Harris County are the following:

Bellaire
Bunker Hill Village
Deer Park
El Lago
Hedwig Village
Galena Park
Hilshire Village
Humble
Hunters Creek Village
Jacinto City
Jersey Village
La Porte
Morgan’s Point
Nassau Bay
Pasadena
Piney Point Village
Shoreacres South Houston
Southside Place
Spring Valley Village
Taylor Lake Village
Tomball
Webster
West University Place

There are also cities that are in Harris County as well as other counties, which means their territory falls in multiple counties. Here they are:

Baytown
Friendswood
Houston
Katy
League City
Missouri City
Pearland
Seabrook
Stafford
Waller

Facts about Harris County

The town of Harrisburg, founded in 1826, was the inspiration for Harris County, and was named after the founder John Richardson Harris. Harris County was not founded until 1836 and was organized in 1837.

The county seat for Harris County is Houston.

Harris County has high property tax rates. In a list of counties with high population taxes, Harris County was ranked 22nd.

The five most popular foreign languages spoken in Harris County are Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, French, and Urdu. So, the next time you go to any service in the city – perhaps even your chiropractor! – don’t be too surprised if you hear one of these languages.

Harris County operates its own public library system, the Harris County Public Library. They even manage their own data recovery system.

Facts about Houston

Houston was founded on August 30, 1836, by brothers Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen on land near the banks of Buffalo Bayou.

Greater Houston is an ethnically diverse metropolitan area. A total of 145 languages are spoken by city residents.

The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of nine counties: Waller, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Austin, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Galveston.