Welcome

The Hobby Center for the Study of Texas is an independent and objective source for the completion of research and education projects and programs focused on major issues impacting Texas and the Nation both now and in the future. The Center seeks to advance understanding of the causes and consequences of demographic, economic, geographic, social, and environmental conditions impacting the current conditions in, and future of, Texas and other areas in the Nation.

Perspectives on the Texas Legislature 2013 Session
A key mission of the Baker Institute and The Hobby Center for the Study of Texas is to bridge the gap between the world of ideas and the world of action. The “Election 2012: Policy Perspectives” series seeks to do that by providing a nonpartisan forum for discussion and debate of the key issues in this year’s U.S. presidential race.

A Boom on Texas Roads
The baby boom — that fat lump that has been moving through the demographic snake since the end of World War II — is now made up of people between 45 and 65 years old, give or take.

Study on uninsured Texans dispels perceptions ..
If asked to describe what an uninsured Texan would look like, words uttered by many of those questioned might paint the picture of an unemployed, uneducated minority or undocumented immigrant. ........ A recent study by the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas at Rice University would beg to differ on that stereotype. The study found that 69 percent of the uninsured in the state are above the poverty line, 61 percent are employed, 71 percent are white and 64 percent were legally born in the state.

The Texas accent is fading as people move to the state ....
Deep in the heart of downtown Houston, listen in on just about any conversation and something is noticeably absent: Texas twang. ……So what happened? Apparently, prosperity happened.

Estimates of the Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Texas Counties
As of 2010, an estimated 23.7 percent of all Texans (5.9 million people) had no health insurance coverage, a larger percentage of population uninsured than any other state. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), the most comprehensive health care program passed by the Congress of the United States since 1965, is designed to expand health insurance coverage so that more people have access to health care.

Rice U Sociologist estimates Texas' largest increase in Growth
Steve Murdock, a Rice University Sociologist and former Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, recently discussed some of the 2010-2011 Census population estimates showing Texas' remarkable growth. 

The Texas Economy
The last decade was a good example. We had the largest increase in Texas history in terms of our total population. Yet we had approximately 10 more declining counties this decade than last decade, virtually all of them, of course, in rural Texas.  It is very clear that rural Texas continues to suffer at least in terms of population.

Rice to update influential 'Texas Challenge' study for policymakers
Two influential books that charted population trends and significantly impacted public policy in Texas and other states for more than 15 years are set to get a 21st-century makeover, courtesy of a generous grant from the Meadows Foundation to Rice University's Hobby Center for the Study of Texas.