PlainZIP

Houston, TX · standard

ZIP Code 77081

Harris County, Texas - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

47,860
5,954/sq mi
$43,251
Median income
$274,000
Median home value
18.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Houston pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with above-median home values, in a suburban-density, renter-heavy area.

8th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 38%
home value, US ZIPs
5,954
people per sq mi
7%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 77081 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 77081 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Houston, Harris County, Texas, with 47,860 residents across 8.0 square miles, a density of 5,954 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 77081 reports a modest median household income of $43,251 (43% below the Texas average), while per-capita income is $22,062. Poverty here runs at 31.8%, with unemployment measured at 5.2%. Median home value sits at $274,000 (11% above the state average), median rent at $1,014 a month, and owner-occupancy at 6.6%.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 18.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 28.5, and the average commute is 30 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 77081, plus 6 more within Harris County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 77081

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Houston, TX

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 77081.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 77081, Houston, TX · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

47,860

Population

8.0

Area (sq mi)

5,954

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 77081?

28.5

Median Age

50.9%

Male

49.1%

Female

54.3%

Foreign-Born

White 12.8%
African American 9.5%
Asian 4.5%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.4%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 33.2%
Hispanic or Latino 75.7%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$43,251

Median Household Income

-43% vs state

$22,062

Per Capita Income

31.8%

Poverty Rate

5.2%

Unemployment Rate

29.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 77081 ranks nationally

Houston, TX household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$43,251 8th percentile higher than 8% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 40.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 18.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

21,033

Total Housing Units

19,337

Occupied Units

1,696

Vacant Units

2.58

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 6.6%
Renter 93.4%

$274,000

Median Home Value

+11% vs state

$1,014

Median Rent

1978

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

-2.4%

YoY Change (2022)

260

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+160%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 77081 have decreased 2.4% over the past year (2022). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +160% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2018 -12.9% 219
2019 +17.9% 258
2020 +9.0% 281
2021 -5.3% 266
2022 -2.4% 260

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2022. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 893 business establishments in ZIP 77081, employing approximately 14,468 people with a combined annual payroll of $796,712,000.

893

Businesses

14,468

Employees

$796.7M

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 144 16.1%
Health care and social assistance 118 13.2%
Accommodation and food services 87 9.7%
Other services (except public administration) 83 9.3%
Finance and insurance 71 8.0%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 70 7.8%
Construction 65 7.3%
Real estate and rental and leasing 59 6.6%
Wholesale trade 58 6.5%
Manufacturing 47 5.3%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 41 4.6%
Transportation and warehousing 18 2.0%
Educational services 13 1.5%
Information 10 1.1%
Management of companies and enterprises 4 0.5%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 3 0.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 77081 vs 77401 →

ZIP 77081 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 77081 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 77081 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 77081 ranks #null of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
77401 Bellaire, TX 17,491 1.3 mi
77096 Houston, TX 32,628 2.6 mi
77057 Houston, TX 39,208 2.4 mi
77056 Houston, TX 18,673 2.6 mi
77074 Houston, TX 37,267 2.7 mi
77005 Houston, TX 25,528 3.4 mi
77027 Houston, TX 14,331 2.9 mi
77035 Houston, TX 35,896 4.1 mi
77063 Houston, TX 34,299 2.9 mi
77036 Houston, TX 71,969 3.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Harris County

77084 standard
Houston, TX
Pop: 95,137
77449 standard
Katy, TX
Pop: 94,382
77429 standard
Cypress, TX
Pop: 72,264
77036 standard
Houston, TX
Pop: 71,969
77450 standard
Katy, TX
Pop: 71,889
77083 standard
Houston, TX
Pop: 70,837

Related Areas

Harris County Houston, TX Texas

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 77081 in? ▼
ZIP code 77081 (Houston) is located in Harris County, Texas. Harris County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/harris-tx.
What is the population of ZIP code 77081? ▼
ZIP code 77081 in Houston, TX has a population of 47,860 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 77081? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 77081 is $43,251, which is 43% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 77081? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 77081 is $274,000, which is 1% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 77081? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 77081 is Two or More Ethnicities at 33.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 75.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 77081? ▼
ZIP code 77081 has 893 business establishments employing approximately 14,468 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 77081? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 77081 are: Retail trade (144), Health care and social assistance (118), Accommodation and food services (87). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 77081? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 77081 decreased by 2.4% in 2022. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 160%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 77081? ▼
In ZIP code 77081, 40.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 18.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 77081? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 77081 is 29.6 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 77081? ▼
In ZIP code 77081, approximately 6.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 93.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 77081? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 77081 is 31.8% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.