Baker Briefing: Houston, a Microcosm of America’s Demographic Future

Houston is the most ethnically diverse city in the U.S. It has been called a “microcosm of America’s future” based on its changing economic, demographic, and cultural landscapes. It is also home to the Kinder Houston Area Survey — the nation’s longest-running metropolitan study of its kind. The annual survey reveals the attitudes, concerns, and priorities of Houstonians — including how they change over time. 

In 2023, the survey revealed that Houston’s optimism remained strong, though concerns about economic equity and housing costs were prevalent. Here, we discuss these and other findings from the 42nd annual Houston Area Survey, which was released this week by Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research.

This episode was recorded on May 17, 2023. 

Discussants: 

• Edward M. Emmett, Fellow in Energy and Transportation Policy, Baker Institute for Public Policy
• Ruth López Turley, Ph.D., Director, Kinder Institute for Urban Research; Professor, Department of Sociology, Rice University
• Daniel Potter, Ph.D., Senior Director of Research, Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University

See the 2023 Kinder Houston Area Survey: https://kinder.rice.edu/research/kinder-houston-area-survey-2023-results

About Baker Briefing

Baker Briefing is a podcast that tackles the most critical foreign and domestic policy issues of the day in conversations with experts at the Baker Institute. Hosted by the Honorable David M. Satterfield, director of the Baker Institute, new episodes are released weekly.

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Each episode of Baker Briefing is recorded in front of a live audience at Rice University in Houston, Texas. You can attend live recordings by joining the Baker Roundtable, the Baker Institute’s membership forum.