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Living in
La Porte.
About
Life in La Porte
Living in La Porte means being part of a working port city that's fundamentally tied to Houston's industrial economy. The shipping and petrochemical industries are the backbone here, which provides stable employment opportunities but also shapes the character of the place—this isn't a tourist town, though you'll see echoes of Sylvan Beach's former glory. The trade-off is that summers are genuinely hot and humid, and you'll need a car—the average commute is 25 minutes, and La Porte is entirely urban with limited walkability.
La Porte at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
37.2 yrs
Poverty Rate
12.2%
Foreign-Born
11.6%
Broadband Internet
91.7%
of households
Population Growth
+8.1%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics11.6% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in La Porte: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In La Porte, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (68.9%), and 21.9% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
25.4%
of residents
65 and Older
15.0%
of residents
Households with Kids
36.6%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
24.9%
of households
Married Couples
49.7%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.75
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent about average for TX
Rent, home values, and income in La Porte
In La Porte, home values are 17% below the TX average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
59.9%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
30.4%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
98.6
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$3,657
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
71.1%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1983
median year built
Vacant Homes
3.4%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $255,362 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 1 pts above TX average
Unemployment in La Porte and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in La Porte is 1 percentage points higher than the TX average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What La Porte Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Median Salary by Occupation · metro area
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX metro area
Commute24.4 min avg
How La Porte residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In La Porte, most residents drive alone to work (81%), and 68% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 15 mi
William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)
Medium hub6.8M passengers boarded in 2025
- 29 mi
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
Major hub23.3M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 59% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in La Porte runs 59% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
134.2
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
977.7
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
La Porte Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 15 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Very High
99.9 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Harris County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Harris County, which includes La Porte, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 15 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 | Thunderstorm Wind | $75,000 |
| 2024 | 27 | Thunderstorm Wind | $73.1M |
| 2023 | 47 | Thunderstorm Wind | $9.3M |
| 2022 | 14 | Thunderstorm Wind | $1.0M |
| 2021 | 23 | Flash Flood | $34.1M |
| 2020 | 17 | Hail | $1.2M |
| 2019 | 27 | Thunderstorm Wind | $200.6M |
| 2018 | 24 | Thunderstorm Wind | $2.0M |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Harris County, county-wide
La Porte is less than 1% of Harris County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Air Quality62 median AQI — Moderate
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Harris County, which includes La Porte, is typically moderate — acceptable for most people, but can affect those unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Median AQI
62
Good Days
40
per year
Moderate Days
287
per year
Unhealthy Days
10
per year
Harris County, county-wide
La Porte is less than 1% of Harris County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Climate91°F summers, 48°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
La Porte has hot summers (avg high 91°F) and warm winters (avg low 48°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
79°/62°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
91°/76°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
81°/63°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
66°/48°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
57.3"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"
Hot Days/Year
76
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
9
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
86
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64°F | 46°F | 4.80" |
| Feb | 67°F | 50°F | 3.02" |
| Mar | 73°F | 56°F | 3.30" |
| Apr | 78°F | 61°F | 4.22" |
| May | 85°F | 69°F | 5.12" |
| Jun | 90°F | 75°F | 6.54" |
| Jul | 92°F | 76°F | 4.36" |
| Aug | 92°F | 76°F | 6.64" |
| Sep | 88°F | 72°F | 7.34" |
| Oct | 82°F | 63°F | 5.79" |
| Nov | 73°F | 53°F | 4.54" |
| Dec | 66°F | 47°F | 4.53" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in La Porte
Uninsured
14.9%
of residents
No hospitals inside La Porte's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
St Luke's Patients Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 7 mi away · Pasadena
Oceans Behavioral Hospital of Pasadena
Psychiatric · 7.5 mi away · Pasadena
Surgery Specialty Hospitals of America Se Houston
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 7.8 mi away · Pasadena
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education15.3:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in La Porte
La Porte's student/teacher ratio is 15.3:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 17.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
10
within city limits
Private Schools
0
within city limits
College Degree Rate
17.6%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
15.3:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges Near La Porte (within 15 miles)
Public · 2-year · 22,969 students · in-state tuition $2,490 · 33% graduate · median earnings $47,048 (10 yrs after entry)
University of Houston-Clear Lake
6.7 mi awayPublic · 4-year · 6,078 students · in-state tuition $7,770 · 64% graduate · median earnings $61,521 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Big Thicket National Preserve, 67 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for La Porte
La Porte has 1 nearby national park or recreation area, closest being Big Thicket National Preserve (67 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Big Thicket National Preserve
National Preserve
67 mi awayPublic Libraries in La Porte
La Porte Branch Library
600 S Broadway St, La Porte
Cities Near La Porte
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to La Porte?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
La Porte FAQ
Is La Porte, Texas affordable?⌄
La Porte's median rent is $1,378/month, which is close to the national average. The median household income is $80,753/year. Median home value is $234,600.
Is La Porte, Texas safe?⌄
La Porte's violent crime rate was 134 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 978 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in La Porte, Texas?⌄
La Porte has an unemployment rate of 5.2%, which is slightly above the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in La Porte, Texas?⌄
The cost of living in La Porte is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,378/month and median household income is $80,753/year. The median home value is $234,600. About 60% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in La Porte, Texas?⌄
The average commute in La Porte is 24 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from