Roughly 36% of U.S. residents who visited Houston in 2023 were repeat visitors, down from 48% who were repeat visitors in 2022, suggesting a broader domestic audience is traveling to the city for business and leisure.

That’s according to location-based data analyzed by Houston First from the research firm Near. Data also shows that roughly 71% of those who traveled in Houston from outside of a 50-mile radius stayed overnight last year. Most of the top origin markets for travelers to Houston in 2023 were elsewhere in Texas, including Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, Beaumont, and Waco. New Orleans was also among the leading origin markets for visitors. At the state level, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, California, and Oklahoma were the leading domestic feeder markets.

Approximately 55% of U.S. residents who visited Houston last year were from within 50 and 250 miles of the city, the Near data shows. Another 17% reside between 250 and 500 miles while 27% of domestic visitors were from more than 500 miles away.

The list of top places visitors to the area spent time includes the Upper Kirby area, Galleria, Midtown, Chinatown, Houston Museum District and Texas Medical Center among other districts. 

Based on U.S. Census data, the average household income of those traveling to Houston in 2023 was $73,800.

Written by A.J. Mistretta 

Image: Hermann Park