Jacob Carpenter

We asked 180 Houston advocates where to start on curbing food insecurity. Here’s what they said.

Houston-area advocates say collaboration, transportation and community engagement are key to reducing hunger.

Fewer babies, migrating families: The demographic trends reshaping Houston’s public schools

A new Kinder Institute analysis provides fresh perspective on how birth and household movement trends are impacting school enrollment across Houston.

Houston’s population keeps growing, but new Census data reveals notable shifts

While the metro area's population continues to climb, particularly in the suburbs, domestic migration patterns are changing how growth is distributed.

Houston’s build-to-rent market keeps growing. Will federal legislation bring it down?

Houston’s small but fast-growing build-to-rent segment — in which companies construct new single-family homes and townhouses specifically to lease them — faces a major threat from federal legislation that would force most developers to sell their new properties.

How Texas plans to tie school accountability grades to college success, job wages

Texas plans to weight postsecondary readiness metrics in its academic accountability system starting in 2031, with the goal of getting more students on track to college and career success.

An average life expectancy of 80? This Rice researcher says a ‘universal basic neighborhood’ can make it happen.

Kinder Institute co-founder Michael Emerson argues minimum neighborhood standards can boost life expectancy.

How new FEMA flood maps will — and won’t — impact insurance costs across Harris County

Hundreds of thousands of Harris County residents would move into higher-risk flood zones under a proposed update to federal maps — but only some residents would see insurance hikes as a result.

800 school districts, $1 billion paid: How Texas’ teacher pay-for-performance has rapidly grown

About two-thirds of Texas school districts have now joined the Teacher Incentive Allotment, including nearly all in Houston.

What do Houston’s Asian residents love and dislike about the region? Here’s what 2,500 of them said.

The region’s Asian community is mostly satisfied with life in the area, though a few nagging problems persist.

Texas school vouchers promise choice. Geography may influence who has options in Houston.

While some Houston families live near private schools accepting vouchers, others reside miles from the nearest campus.

Left in the cold: These Houston residents report lack of safe, reliable heating in winter

Early results from a Kinder Institute survey show 12% of Harris County residents don’t have safe, reliable heat at home.

Are corporate buyers hogging single-family homes in Harris County? Here’s what the data shows.

A Kinder Institute analysis shows nine large companies own about 1% of single-family homes in Harris County.

Uncertified teacher hiring soared in Texas schools after the pandemic. Now, it’s slowing down.

A rapid rise in Texas public schools hiring uncertified teachers slowed in 2024-25, though it remains triple pre-pandemic rates, state data shows.

Houston’s Asian population has blossomed for decades. These maps and charts document its rise.

Asian residents now account for nearly 10% of the local population, driven by a multiethnic embrace of the region.

School vouchers, slowing growth and food insecurity: What Kinder Institute researchers are watching in Houston in 2026

The new year will bring big changes to key education, health and housing policies that shape the city.