Houston’s Uptown makes top 10 in shift to majority-renter

Several of Houston’s residential districts have become renter districts.

The number of renters in Houston’s 77056 ZIP code has more than doubled in the past decade, making it one of the top 10 in the nation in terms of higher concentrations of renters than homeowners, the Houston Business Journal reported. The area includes parts of the Uptown/Galleria area as well as West Oaks and Tanglewood.

Data from RentCafe found that the number of renters in the 77056 neighborhood went from 7,795 to 12,647 — a 62 percent increase — over the past 10 years. With more than 57 percent of the neighborhood consisting of renters, the 77056 area ranks as No. 9 nationwide on the list of ZIP codes that have leaned away from home ownership in favor of more renters.

In addition, the 77067 ZIP code, north of Greater Greenspoint, also has a renter majority, with 17,906 renters making up about 52 percent of the area’s residents. Other ZIP codes that became renter neighborhoods include 77099 in Alief, 77025 in Braeswood Place, 77031 in southwest Houston and 77020 in Fifth Ward/East End.

Houston is currently tied with Memphis as the major US city with the second-highest concentration of renters, with six ZIP codes each being majority renter areas. Philadelphia took the No. 1 spot.

One thing that makes Houston stand out is the number of ZIP codes that were already renter majorities that have still seen an increase in the rental population. Data shows that 16 Houston ZIP codes had an increase in renters from 2011 to 2020.

In addition, the 77002 ZIP code experienced the biggest increase for the Houston area — and the eighth largest increase nationally — with a 125.7 percent increase in the number of renters living in the area.

Further west, in San Antonio, the downtown 78215 ZIP code had a 238 percent increase in its renter population when it went from 735 in 2011 to 2,482 in 2020.

— Victoria Pruitt