Houston winters, on the other hand, are extremely mild and average only about 20 days per year with temperatures below freezing. Back to Top People Houston is the largest city in both the South and Southwest, and its population has doubled every 20 years since 1900. According to the 1980 census the median age in Harris County is 27.5 years, and there are 2.62 persons per household. In 1985 Houston had one of the highest median family incomes of any metropolitan area in the South, but the cost of living was below average for United States cities of more than 500,000 people. The fall in the price of oil, however, caused an unemployment rate in 1986 of 10 percent.
Newcomers make up a large proportion of the population.
Houston led the nation in new home construction in the 1970s, but many Houstonians live in apartment complexes or condominiums scattered all over the city. The affluent white population reside in the mansions and large homes of River Oaks and Memorial. Back to Top Culture, Education, and Recreation The 3,000-seat Jesse H. Jones Hall in the heart of downtown houses the Houston Symphony Orchestra. Each summer all the major performing arts groups give free performances in Hermann Park's Miller Outdoor Theatre. From the Spring Opera Festival to the Shakespeare Festival, the opening of the Miller Theatre's season signals the coming of summer.