Kinder Houston Area Survey: 2023 Results | Kinder Institute for Urban Research

The 42nd Kinder Houston Area Survey shares what Houston-area residents think about housing costs, the economy, poverty, and quality of life. Optimism among Houstonians has dropped to some of its lowest levels since 1982. Half of respondents named housing costs or the economy as the area's biggest problem. Most residents support more help for people experiencing poverty. The survey also covers walkability, public transportation, environmental protection, and safety.

The 42nd Kinder Houston Area Survey provides a glimpse into how Houstonians are thinking about the economy, affordable housing, inequality, and other critical challenges and issues facing their communities. The 42nd Kinder Houston Area Survey provides a glimpse into how Houstonians are thinking about the critical challenges and issues facing their communities. Houston’s collective optimism shows signs of fading, dropping to some of the lowest levels recorded since the survey began in 1982. Half of Houstonians cited either the cost of housing or the economy as the biggest problem facing the area, despite the fact that jobs have rebounded since the pandemic. Respondents remain overwhelmingly supportive of more interventions to help people experiencing poverty. The survey also measured respondents' views on quality-of-life issues such as walkability, public transportation, environmental protection and safety. As economic aftershocks from the COVID-19 pandemic linger, Houstonians have a dimmer view of their prospects, according to the 42nd annual Kinder Houston Area Survey. With inflation and housing costs reaching record highs—and a potential recession on the horizon—optimism among survey respondents was at one of its lowest levels in nearly three decades. More than ever before, Houston residents are also in alignment that more must be done to close income gaps. On May 11, 2021, Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research released the results of the 40th annual Houston Area Survey. Among the findings: 22% of respondents – a far higher share than in any previous survey – rated “public health” as the “biggest problem facing people in the Houston area today.” Regular physical activity may be the closest thing we have to a “magic bullet” to combat the obesity epidemic and alarmingly high rates of cardiovascular disease. Physical activity offers dramatic benefits for individuals but it also has the potential to knit together the social fabric of our communities, making us healthier physically and mentally. And it is free. So, what’s holding us back? As it turns out, something as easy as a safe walk around the neighborhood is out of reach for too many communities. For over four decades, the Kinder Houston Area Survey has been tracking the changing attitudes and experiences of Houstonians. The Greater Houston Community Panel is composed of thousands of scientifically selected adults in Harris County, Fort Bend County and Montgomery County, Texas, who are regularly surveyed about their families and communities, including their health, well-being, expectations, opinions, priorities and aspirations. 6100 Main St. MS-208 Houston, TX 77005-1892 kinder@rice.edu 713-348-4132 Subscribe to our e-newsletter Rice University Kraft Hall 6100 Main Street, Suite 305 Houston, TX 77005-1892 Support the Kinder Institute

• Visit the Kinder Institute website to read the full 2023 survey results. • Browse past surveys to see how Houston's views have changed over the decades. • Share the findings with a neighbor, community group, or local organization you're involved with. • Sign up for the Kinder Institute e-newsletter to get future research delivered to your inbox. • Contact the Kinder Institute directly if you have questions about the data or research.