Interactive Web Applications

The Houston Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) conducted a Future of Work Survey from March 14, 2022, through March 31, 2022. The purpose of the survey was to gather data on how local businesses worked before COVID-19, how they are operating now, and what they envision the workplace to look like moving forward. The survey also gathered information from businesses regarding additional benefits they offer including commuting subsidies and allowances for employees.

The H-GAC Clean Rivers Program publishes an annual report for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality summarizing the state of water quality in the region. The 2022 Basin Highlights Report features three projects that collect, analyze information, and determine the health of local water bodies as well as improve water quality. The report is accessible online with interactive maps, photos, and graphics.

This dashboard offers a comprehensive view of at-grade railroad crossings located within the eight counties of H-GAC. The Federal Railroad Administration Crossing Inventory provides various information on these crossings, including data on crossing types, safety warning devices, traffic counts, roadway classifications, and locations. This dashboard serves as a convenient and accessible way for users to obtain critical data on at-grade railroad crossings in the area.

Federal Railroad Administration Crossing Inventory Dashboards & Data Downloads

The Regional Origin-Destination data dashboard is a user-friendly and interactive tool that showcases Origin-Destination data for the H-GAC's eight counties. The dashboard operates at the Traffic Analysis Zone (TAZ) level, providing detailed information on traffic flows within the region. Utilizing Streetlight Origin-Destination data collected between 2019 and 2021, this dashboard offers a comprehensive view of travel patterns and behaviors within the H-GAC region.

The U.S. Census Bureau released the Census 2020 Redistricting Data on August 12, 2021. The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) processed and summarized the data for various geographies, including County (incorporated and unincorporated), Census Places/Cities, Independent School Districts, Voting Districts, Congressional Districts, Texas State Senate and House Districts, Census Tracts, one square mile and nine square mile grids.

The redistricting data includes Population Counts by Race and Ethnicity, Voting Age Population, Housing Units, and Group Quarter Population. Users can customize their geography to access and download the data, including data down to the census block level, using this tool.

View H-GAC's Census Data

The Regional Conservation Framework Tool is a sophisticated and powerful tool that helps preserve natural areas within the 13-County H-GAC region. By utilizing various data sources and analytical techniques, this tool identifies and assesses the ecological value of natural areas, enabling users to pinpoint critical ecological resources and develop a framework for their preservation. This resource is an essential tool for promoting sustainable development and enhancing the overall quality of life within the region, providing planners, policymakers, and other stakeholders with the information they need to make informed decisions about land use, conservation, and management that take into account the ecological value of natural areas.

Learn more about H-GAC's Regional Conservation Program.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) in conjunction with area management districts, conducted a Regional Employer Survey from December 7, 2020 through January 6, 2021 with 237 employers participating from the 13-County H-GAC region. The survey was conducted to gather data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on local businesses and their employees. The survey also gathered information from businesses on the future of office space and employee telework policies/programs.

The Vulnerable Population Density tool is a user-friendly and powerful data visualization tool that offers a comprehensive view of vulnerable populations within a specific area. Using a hexagonal grid of 3 square miles and data from the US Census American Community Survey, the tool provides valuable insights into population dynamics and changes over time. By analyzing historical trends from 2012 to 2021, it identifies areas with a high concentration of vulnerable populations and enables policymakers, social service providers, and other stakeholders to make informed decisions about resource allocation, program development, and community engagement. Whether used for research, planning, or advocacy, the Vulnerable Population Density tool is an essential resource for understanding and addressing issues related to vulnerable populations.

The Regional Employment Density application is a powerful and user-friendly tool that displays regional employment patterns and trends. By utilizing 1-square-mile hexagonal grids and filters for industry sector and county, users can analyze employment data that is customized to their needs. Derived from the US Census LEHD Workplace Area Characteristics (WAC) 2009-2019, the employment data used in this application is accurate and reliable. This tool is a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders seeking to gain insights into the regional economy and labor market. By using the Regional Employment Density application, users can make informed decisions and take action to promote economic growth and prosperity within the region.

Equity planning aims to address historical and current discrimination, bias, and power imbalances in order to build more equitable and resilient communities. One powerful tool for equity planning is the Regional Equity Tool, an interactive mapping application that provides valuable insights into vulnerable populations and historic settlements in the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) region. This tool displays critical information on community characteristics and sociodemographic trends, enabling regional planners to make informed decisions when developing and implementing planning projects. In addition, the tool includes information on current and future planning projects from H-GAC and other local agencies, ensuring that users have access to up-to-date information on regional planning initiatives. By utilizing the Regional Equity Tool, regional planners and policymakers can ensure that their planning projects are equitable, sustainable, and effective in meeting the needs of all members of the community.

The Regional Resilience Tool is a valuable and user-friendly resource that enables regional planners and policymakers to assess the criticality and vulnerability of road segments within the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) region. Developed as part of a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) pilot study, the tool utilizes modeled flood exposure depth grid data to identify the most vulnerable parts of road segments to flooding, allowing users to develop strategies to mitigate the impact of flooding and improve road networks. With its powerful analytical capabilities and comprehensive insights, the Regional Resilience Tool is an essential resource for promoting resilience and enhancing the safety of road networks within the H-GAC region, ensuring that planning efforts are targeted and effective in meeting the needs of the community.

The Regional Commute Flow Map is an innovative and easy-to-use tool that provides insights into the commuting patterns of workers in the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) region. The tool utilizes flow maps to visualize commute patterns at different geographic levels, including 13 counties, 25 Regional Sectors, Census Tracts, and 3 square-mile hexagonal grids. The data used in this tool is derived from the US Census Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Origin-Destination Employment Statistics data between 2002 and 2019.

This tool is a valuable resource for regional planners, policymakers, and other stakeholders seeking to gain a better understanding of commuting patterns in the H-GAC region. By providing detailed information on workers' commuting patterns, the Regional Commute Flow Map enables users to identify areas of high commuting traffic and develop targeted strategies to improve transportation infrastructure and reduce traffic congestion. This tool is an essential resource for promoting efficient and sustainable transportation systems in the H-GAC region.

The Eco-Logical Tool is an essential resource for regional planners and policymakers seeking to measure the environmental impacts of future transportation projects in the early stages of the planning process. By analyzing and assessing the potential impacts of transportation projects on critical ecological resources, this tool enables stakeholders to develop strategies that minimize negative effects and preserve natural resources. With its powerful analytical capabilities and user-friendly interface, the Eco-Logical Tool promotes sustainable development and enhances the overall quality of life in the region, making it an essential resource for anyone seeking to plan and implement transportation projects in an environmentally responsible manner.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council has released the Regional Mobility Report, an interactive application that displays mobility stats of the H-GAC 8-County Transportation Management Area. The 2019 Mobility Report summarizes key transportation and economic performance indicators that reflect the region's progress toward achieving a safe, reliable, multimodal transportation system.

Regional Crash Data (2017-2021) is an interactive application that displays crash data from the 8-County Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) region. The application uses crash data for 8 counties (Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller county) between 2017 and 2021 from TxDOT CRIS data.

The Commuting Patterns in the H-GAC Region are visualized through interactive applications that provide users with insights into the commuting patterns of workers between their homes and workplaces at various geographic levels, such as counties, 25 Regional Sectors, Zip codes, Census Tracts, and 3 square-mile hexagonal grids. These applications are based on the 2019 US Census Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Origin-Destination Employment Statistics data, making them valuable resources for regional planners, policymakers, and other stakeholders seeking to understand commuting patterns in the region.

These interactive applications offer granular insights into workers' commuting patterns, enabling users to identify areas with high commuting traffic and develop targeted strategies to improve transportation infrastructure and reduce traffic congestion. With a user-friendly interface and powerful analytical capabilities, these interactive applications are essential resources for promoting sustainable and efficient transportation systems within the H-GAC region.

The Regional Occupational Snapshot is an interactive application that shows where people of different occupations choose to live in the 13-County Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) region.

The Regional Employment Snapshot is a powerful and interactive tool designed to provide a quick summary of key employment characteristics for user-defined areas within the 13-County Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) region. This tool utilizes Workplace Area Characteristics (WAC) data from the US Census Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) program to provide reliable and up-to-date information at various geographic levels, including county, city, census tract, and one square mile hexagonal grid levels. Whether used for research, planning, or advocacy, the Regional Employment Snapshot is a valuable resource for regional planners, policymakers, and other stakeholders seeking to better understand employment patterns and trends within the region.

Regional Demographic Snapshot is an interactive tool that provides a quick summary of key demographic variables for a user-defined geography in the 13-County Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) region. The data is based on US Census American Community Survey 2016-2020 5-year estimates and is available at county, city, Zip Code, census tract and block group levels.

This interactive application visualizes workers' historical commuting patterns between home and workplace in 3 square-mile hexagonal grids in the region and analyzes the difference in average commute distances by workers' ages, earnings, and industries. The data is based on the 2002-2019 US Census Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Origin-Destination Employment Statistics data.

Current County Data Viewer is an interactive application that displays the most recent county level data of the 13-County Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) region. The tool offers demographic, economic and housing data. Most of the data used in this application is only available at the county level.

Regional Flood Information is an interactive GIS tool that provides information on neighborhoods and populations vulnerable to potential flooding and hazards. It consolidates data from various federal and local agencies relevant to recent flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) region (13 counties).

The Basin Summary Report, produced every five years, outlines water quality issues in the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) Clean Rivers Program region based on technical analysis of historical and current trends. This summary document highlights significant findings, activities and accomplishments, and recommendations from the report.

The H-GAC Clean Rivers Program publishes an annual report for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality summarizing the state of water quality in the region. The 2020 Basin Highlights Report includes a regional water quality summary, trends analysis, detailed characterizations of three watersheds. The report is accessible online with interactive maps, photos, and graphics.

The H-GAC Clean Rivers Program publishes an annual report for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality summarizing the state of water quality in the region. The 2019 Basin Highlights Report includes a regional water quality summary and trends analysis, and detailed characterizations of regional watersheds. The report is accessible online with interactive maps, photos, and graphics.

The H-GAC Clean Rivers Program publishes an annual report for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality summarizing the state of water quality in the region. The 2018 Basin Highlights Report includes a regional water quality summary and trends analysis, and detailed characterizations of regional watersheds. The report is accessible online with interactive maps, photos, and graphics.

The 2017 Basin Highlights Report includes water quality status and trends for waterways in four basins monitored by the H-GAC Clean Rivers Program, an overview of the program's outreach activities, and summarizes special projects using Clean Rivers Program data.

Urban Forestry tool helps users to assess urban forests (land cover and tree canopy) in areas and to develop urban forestry planning projects that identify and prioritize urban forestry conservation and restoration efforts. 

3D Property Value Viewer represents aggregated property values in Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller County using a hexagonal grid system (1 hexagon=0.14 square miles). The property values are derived from individual County Appraisal Districts. You can navigate the map by zooming, panning, and rotating; select a bookmark; choose specific layers to view; print view in PDF/image formats; search for objects and attributes; and view additional information about the map.

The Basin Summary Report (BSR) is produced every five years and outlines water quality issues within the Houston-Galveston Area Council's (H-GAC) five basins. Visit the 2016 Basin Summary Report website for more information.

ACE (Activity-Connectivity Explorer) is a map application to identify existing activity center(s) based on density and connectivity index using a hexagonal grid system. There are seven indicators to measure density, connectivity, and accessibility: household, household population, jobs, activity population, job/household balance, number of intersections, and number of pedestrian-bike amenities.

Activity-Connectivity Explorer is an interactive map application that enables users to identify activity centers based on density and connectivity in a given geographic area. The tool measures seven indicators, including household, household population, jobs, activity population, job/household balance, number of intersections, and number of pedestrian-bike amenities, using a hexagonal grid system.

Activity-Connectivity Explorer is a valuable resource for regional planners and policymakers seeking to promote sustainable and equitable development by providing detailed information on activity centers and connectivity, enabling users to identify areas of high density and connectivity, and develop targeted strategies for improving transportation infrastructure and reducing traffic congestion. The tool's powerful analytical capabilities and granular insights make it a valuable resource for promoting sustainable and efficient transportation systems within a given region.

Use the Demographic Data Explorer to view and analyze the region's demographic data for counties, tracts, places and block groups. Data in this application is from the 2016-2020 American Community Survey. Visit the Census Data page for more information.

The 2017 profiles for all 13 counties in the region provide a demographic snapshot and build a baseline understanding from which local communities and H-GAC can gauge how the region has advanced the tenets of the Our Great Region 2040 plan.

This application shows the location of closed landfill in the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) region. Visit the Closed Landfill Inventory website for more information.

This application is the interactive version of the Bacteria Implementation Group (BIG) report. Visit the BIG website for more information.

Livable Centers are walkable, mixed-use places that provide multimodal transportation options, improve environmental quality and promote economic development. Visit the Livable Centers website for more information. 

Use the OSSF Information System application to view onsite septic system facilities and unpermitted analysis for the region. Visit the On-Site Sewage Facilities page for more information. 

The Regional Bikeway Viewer is an interactive map of existing and planned bikeways in the Houston-Galveston region.

The app displays and analyzes Origin-Destination tables (total trips, work/non-work trips, and A.M. trips) using various geographic boundaries including TAZ, 3-square mile hexagon grids, 51, Sectors, 25 Regional Sectors, and 8 Counties.

Use the Regional Land Use Information application to view and query current and forecasted land use for the H-GAC region. Visit the Regional Growth Forecast page for more information.

Visit the Riparian Buffer website to learn more about your watershed, compare your watershed with others in the region, visualize what a buffer will look like on your property, calculate cost estimates, and find agency contact information for your area.

View recycle centers and landfill information within our 13 county region with the Solid Waste Facilities application. Visit the Solid Waste Management website for more information.

Use the Water Resources Information Map to locate Monitoring Stations and access Water Quality Data for the region. View the Water Resources Program website for more information.

Use this interactive tool to view the latest 5-Year American Community Survey data for counties, cities and census tracts in the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) region. Visit the Census Data page for more information.

The Connectivity Tool is a sketch planning tool that helps answer the question of what amount of road connectivity is needed at various densities of development to maintain transportation levels of service. The tool provides the user with the road spacing, or land miles needed. A second application within the tool allows the user to analyze how much the addition of parallel collectors would reduce traffic on the arterial. The user's guide for the tool also contains recommendations to improve development connectivity.

The Fiscal Impact Model is a tool that allows local governments to estimate potential revenues and economic impact associated with creating Livable Centers. Inputs include tax rates and use types (residential, commercial, etc) and outputs include potential fiscal revenues for the local government. The user's guide for the fiscal impact model also contains recommendations for overcoming fiscal implementation obstacles to creating centers.

The Livable Centers Benefits Calculator is a sketch planning tool that demonstrates the potential benefits, as measured by mode shift, which could occur from the presence of centers in a region. The tool demonstrates the potential impact of centers of varying sizes and densities on mode share. Please view the user's guide.

H-GAC's Regional Growth Forecast Report is an interactive application that summarizes changes in Households, Household Population and Jobs for different geographic levels (Counties, Regional Sector 10, Regional Sector 25 and Places) based on H-GAC's 2018 annual regional growth forecast. 

Regional Population Growth Trends (1980-2040) is an interactive application that summarizes household population changes between 1980 and 2040 at different geographic levels, including ring, quadrant, directional, and 25 sectors using the Census (1980, 1990, 2000, 2010) and H-GAC's 2017 annual regional growth forecast (2011-2040).

The Land Cover Change Application summaries the trend of how much and what land cover types have been changed between 1996 and 2011 within the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) region based on National Land Cover Data (NLCD). Users are able to search by counties and compare the land-cover changes between 1996 and 2011. Visit the Land Cover Data page for more information.

On The Map is a web-based mapping and reporting application that shows where workers are employed and where they live. It also provides companion reports on age, earnings, industry sectors, race, ethnicity, educational attainment, and sex. Visit the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics website for more information.

The Job-to-Job Flows Explorer is a newly-developed tool from the Longitudinal Employer Household Dynamic (LEHD) program at the Census Bureau. It records overall volumes, workforce demographics, geographic patterns and wage changes associated with job-to-job changes across states and metropolitan areas in the US. The explorer displays all job-to-job flow-related information interactively and allows users to select the detailed job flow channels in which they are interested. Visit the LEHD page for more information.

QWI Explorer is a new, web-based analysis tool that enables comprehensive access to the full depth and breadth of the Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI) dataset. Through charts, maps, and interactive tables, users can compare, rank and aggregate QWIs across time, geography, and/or firm and worker characteristics on the fly. Visit the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics website for more information.

A fast simple way to calculate whether a county, region or neighborhood may meet grant thresholds for unemployment and income. Just select county or tract and the tool will create regions or neighborhoods based on your choices.

Type in the name of a city or town to view a profile using the latest 5-year estimates from the American Community Survey, with state comparisons.

Compare and contrast your county to others nationwide. The linked ranks provide a unique way to see counties and states when compared to everywhere else in the nation.

The Census Business Builder is a suite of services that provides selected demographic and economic data from the Census Bureau tailored to specific types of users in a simple to access and use format.

The most comprehensive website and visualization engine for public US government data.

The One Stop Demographic Data Analysis Tool is designed to give TxDOT personnel, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) and other transportation professionals a quick and easy way to access and report general demographic information.

Census Reporter will simplify finding and using data from the decennial census and the American Community Survey. 

The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) has performed traffic volume counts, vehicle speed data collection, and vehicle classification data collection on roadways in the region.

This data is collected to improve estimates of the vehicle demand and vehicle miles traveled on non-TxDOT managed facilities. Additionally, the data is used to support travel demand modeling and evaluate the capacity demand of the region. H-GAC has created a Traffic Count Database System to facilitate distribution and viewing of the data collected.