Houstonians worried most about crime, housing, and economy, Kinder Institute study shows

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Rice University released the 2024 Kinder Houston Area Survey on Monday, revealing much about how Houstonians feel about the region’s past, present, and future.

More than 5,300 respondents participated in the survey’s 43rd year, which chronicled the changes in southeast Texas and provided a blueprint for the future.

Houstonians are really concerned about three key things: crime and safety, housing affordability, and the economy.

Despite crime going down since 2020, concerns about crime have risen.

With regard to housing affordability, one in five say it’s their biggest concern, and Houston is now a majority-renter city at 60%.

Regarding the economy, 46% of Houstonians said they don’t have enough money to cover a $400 emergency, which is up 4% in a year.

One other interesting note about our recent reporting on public education funding, 70% of those surveyed said public schools need more money. Most school districts in Harris County are underfunded.