Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
USA
MSA
Central City
suburbs
Figure 8.18.
Houston-Galveston-Brazoria CMSA,
Hispanic population as a percentage of total population, 2000
In the 2000 census, the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria CMSA was divided into
884 census tracts. Its social geography is organized into concentric circles and
quadrants separated by radial highways, in accordance with the Hoyt sector model
of urban development [HOY 39] (see Figures 8.19 and 8.20).
As in other cities, minorities are concentrated in the city center. The city of
Houston has steadily expanded by annexing suburbs, especially along radial axes.
While Houston continued to represent 42% of the metropolitan population in 2000,
there has been recent debate about extending city jurisdiction to include all of Harris
County by 2011. Fifty-four percent of Hispanics residing in the MSA are in
Houston. Houston also accounts for 60% of the African-American community,
although the Houston black “ghetto” is limited to two districts, one northeast of the
CBD between US Highways 59 and 90, and one to the south, between US Hwy 90
and Route 35 (see Figure 8.19). The same applies to Hispanic neighborhoods,
themselves divided into three districts (see Figure 8.20). The first is in the northwest
between Interstate 10 and US Hwy 290, and the second bordered to the north by
Interstate 45 and US Hwy 59. The third district occupies the greater southeastern
quadrant towards the port in between Interstate 10 and Route 35. The comparison of
the two spatial distribution maps for these ethnic groups in Houston's census tracts
according to the 2000 census clearly shows territorial cleavages, notwithstanding the
fact that the remaining areas have populations composed mostly of non-Hispanic
whites.
