Direct answer: About 875,800 people in the Houston metro are 65 or older (12.0% of residents), including about 543,500 in Harris County. Roughly one in three of them (32.8%) reports a disability. Galveston, Austin and San Jacinto counties have the oldest populations; Sugar Land has the highest 65+ share among the large suburbs.
The whole region at a glance
The Census Bureau's Houston metro area covers ten counties: Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria, Galveston, Liberty, Waller, Chambers, Austin and San Jacinto. Across that area, about 875,800 residents were 65 or older in the 2019 to 2023 survey period. That is 12.0% of the population, a little below the Texas share of 13.2%.
A lower percentage still means a very large number of people. The metro had about 317,000 residents 75 or older and about 79,100 who were 85 or older. The City of Houston on its own had about 277,100 people 65 and up, more than live in most Texas cities in total.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 5-year estimates (table B01001).
| County | All residents | Age 65+ | Share 65+ | Age 85+ | 65+ with a disability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jacinto | 27,983 | 5,914 | 21.1% | 624 | 45.4% |
| Austin | 30,712 | 6,404 | 20.9% | 427 | 31.7% |
| Galveston | 354,721 | 54,316 | 15.3% | 5,491 | 36.3% |
| Montgomery | 654,722 | 88,541 | 13.5% | 8,181 | 29.7% |
| Chambers | 49,178 | 6,221 | 12.6% | 417 | 32.2% |
| Brazoria | 381,650 | 47,818 | 12.5% | 4,692 | 36.5% |
| Fort Bend | 859,721 | 104,644 | 12.2% | 7,908 | 27.2% |
| Liberty | 97,993 | 11,701 | 11.9% | 911 | 44.4% |
| Harris | 4,758,579 | 543,463 | 11.4% | 49,942 | 33.4% |
| Waller | 59,455 | 6,792 | 11.4% | 495 | 29.0% |
| Metro total | 7,274,714 | 875,814 | 12.0% | 79,088 | 32.8% |
What stands out by county
Harris County has by far the most older residents, about 543,500, even though its 65+ share (11.4%) is one of the lowest in the region. Roughly 49,900 Harris County residents are 85 or older.
Galveston County (15.3%) and the rural edges of the metro, Austin County (20.9%) and San Jacinto County (21.1%), have the oldest populations. Where neighbors, family and services are farther apart, a bathroom someone can use safely alone matters even more.
Fort Bend and Montgomery counties sit near the regional average for 65+ today, but the next group is close behind. In the same survey, 11.4% of Fort Bend residents and 12.0% of Montgomery County residents were 55 to 64, compared with 10.7% in Harris County. Those are the people who will turn 65 over the next ten years. If you are planning ahead in a two-story suburban house, our buying guide covers upstairs installs and deep garden tubs.
Cities and communities we serve
Census figures for smaller places come from fewer survey responses, so treat them as estimates with a margin of error. They still show real differences between neighbors.
| Place | Age 65+ | Share 65+ | Age 85+ | 65+ with a disability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston (city) | 277,124 | 12.0% | 30,887 | 35.1% |
| Sugar Land | 19,815 | 18.1% | 1,713 | 25.2% |
| Missouri City | 12,289 | 16.3% | 888 | 27.7% |
| The Woodlands | 16,907 | 14.5% | 1,586 | 26.9% |
| Friendswood | 6,432 | 15.8% | 809 | 28.6% |
| Galveston (city) | 10,736 | 20.1% | 1,040 | 36.2% |
| Tomball | 2,794 | 21.4% | 539 | 39.0% |
| Deer Park | 5,555 | 16.4% | 418 | 33.2% |
| League City | 14,205 | 12.4% | 1,677 | 36.2% |
| Conroe | 12,935 | 13.3% | 1,549 | 32.4% |
| Pearland | 15,133 | 12.0% | 1,778 | 32.3% |
| Katy (city) | 2,860 | 12.0% | 234 | 29.1% |
| Pasadena | 17,050 | 11.4% | 1,452 | 37.0% |
| Baytown | 9,770 | 11.6% | 1,133 | 42.2% |
| Atascocita | 10,198 | 10.9% | 600 | 35.0% |
| Spring | 6,319 | 9.4% | 472 | 40.8% |
Sugar Land (18.1%), Missouri City (16.3%) and The Woodlands (14.5%) have older populations than the region as a whole. Galveston (20.1%) and Tomball (21.4%) have about one resident in five aged 65 or over. Spring and Atascocita have younger populations, with median ages of 33.6 and 35.5, and sit lower.
Kingwood and Clear Lake are part of the City of Houston, so their residents are counted in the Houston row. Cypress and Cy-Fair are unincorporated and have no Census place of their own; Harris County figures are the closest fit.
Disability after 65: why it matters for the bathroom
The Census survey asks about six kinds of difficulty: hearing, vision, thinking or remembering, walking or climbing stairs, bathing or dressing, and doing errands alone. Across the metro, 32.8% of residents 65 and older reported at least one. In Harris County the figure was 33.4%.
Not every disability affects bathing, but several do. Someone who has trouble with stairs usually has trouble stepping over a tub wall. Someone with low vision benefits from contrast and good light. Someone with memory changes needs controls that are simple and water that cannot get too hot. Our safety checklist covers the quick fixes, and the tub or shower guide helps match the bathroom to the person.
Using these numbers for your own family: a statistic does not tell you what one person needs. An occupational therapist's home visit, a talk with the person's doctor, and an honest look at how bathing goes today are better guides.
How these figures were put together
All numbers come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2019 to 2023, the most detailed release that covers every county and city on this page. Age counts are from table B01001 (sex by age). Disability shares are from table B18101 (sex by age by disability status) and cover people living in households and group homes outside institutions. Five-year estimates average the survey period, so they are not a single-year count, and small places carry wider margins of error. Shares are rounded to one decimal place and large counts to the nearest hundred in the text.
For help that follows from these numbers, see our list of Houston senior resources and the caregiver guide.
Questions we hear about this
How many people 65 and older live in the Houston area?
About 875,800 people in the 10-county Houston metro were 65 or older, 12.0% of residents, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 estimates. Harris County alone had about 543,500.
What share of older Houstonians have a disability?
About 32.8% of metro residents 65 and older reported at least one disability, such as difficulty walking or climbing stairs, in the same Census survey. That is roughly one in three.
Why are Kingwood and Cypress not listed?
Kingwood is part of the City of Houston, and Cypress is an unincorporated area with no Census place of its own, so the Census does not publish separate figures for them. Use the Houston city or Harris County rows instead.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau: ACS 2019 to 2023, table B01001 (sex by age)
- U.S. Census Bureau: ACS 2019 to 2023, table B18101 (disability by age)
- U.S. Census Bureau: when to use 1-year or 5-year estimates
Program rules and figures can change. Check the linked agency page before you rely on them.