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.

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.

Trends show Texas increasingly urban and Latino
The 2010 Census offered proof that the old Texas mythology is now part of history, revealing a state that is increasingly urban and Latino.

Population ‘Tipping Point’ in Texas, as Hispanics Get Closer to Parity With Whites
A phenomenal surge in Hispanics has fueled the population growth in Texas, which gained more people over the last decade than any other state, according to United States Census Bureau figures.