New federal data shows a bump in Spring and Klein residents near the Grand Parkway and increased household incomes in neighborhoods along Hwy. 249 over the last five years.

About the data: The U.S. Census Bureau released new five-year data for 2024 on Jan. 29 as part of its American Communities Survey, or ACS, which estimates population changes across the country between 2020-2024.

This data compares with the 2019 ACS results, which analyzed communities across the nation between 2015-2019.

The overview: Populations across the six ZIP codes trended slightly upward in the 5-year timeframe, but the data shows less growth overall compared to other regions of northwest Harris County. 

Another detail: Households closer to Hwy. 249, such as those in 77069, 77070 and 77389, experienced larger bumps in income compared to the rest of the area, the data shows.

Learn more: An analysis of demographics within Klein ISD's boundaries shows an increase in overall diversity reported in 2024, with a larger percentage of residents identifying as two or more races and Hispanic or Latino.

Candidates for the Republican primary for U.S. House District 2 gathered at The Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership on Feb. 19 for a forum on economic and business topics during the first week of early voting.

What happened: Incumbent Dan Crenshaw and candidates Martin Etwop and N. Lee Plumb attended the forum, and state Rep. Steve Toth, who represents District 15 in the Texas Legislature, was also invited but did not attend.

The details: The candidates offered information about their backgrounds and motivations for running, and questions covered topics such as the economy and legislative policies.

Get involved: Early voting began Feb. 17 and will end Feb. 27. A list of some of the positions on the sample ballot for voters in The Woodlands area in Montgomery County can be found here.

Houston-area renters opened 2026 with more choices and slightly lower prices, according to the Houston Association of Realtors’ January Rental Market Update released Feb. 18. 

A closer look: The average lease price for a single-family rental fell 3.3% from a year earlier to $2,214, which HAR officials said is the lowest level since December 2023. 

Even with prices easing, demand didn’t disappear. Leased listings rose 11% year over year to 3,447 homes, while new listings climbed 16.4% to 6,499 properties, giving renters more inventory to work with, according to the report.