Virtual data rooms for Houston deals, audits and legal matters

What sets Houston's economy apart

The industry that stands out most in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro, measured against the national mix, is oil and gas extraction. Its 363 establishments are 3.6 times the share you would expect from the country as a whole. Next come oilfield and mining support services (805 establishments, 3.5 times) and chemical manufacturing (473 establishments, 1.7 times). Of the 30 metros on these pages with published figures for oil and gas extraction, Houston ranks 5th, behind Oklahoma City, OK and others.

Lease acquisitions, working-interest sales and reserve-based lending all run on title files, reserve reports and joint operating agreements.

Service-company sales and refinancings depend on master service agreements, fleet records and safety files. In oilfield and mining support services, Houston places 2nd of 48 metros here; Oklahoma City, OK leads.

How Houston compares

The Census Bureau estimated the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro's population at 7,796,182 in July 2024, up 645,949 or 9.0 percent on the April 2020 base of 7,150,233.

Measured against the 2023 estimate of 7,598,011, the same year as the business count, Houston has 50.9 offices of lawyers per 100,000 residents, 34th of the 59 metro areas on these pages against a median of 52.6; the nearest rates are Burlington, VT at 51.2 and Philadelphia, PA at 51.7.

The metro with the closest number of law offices is Dallas, TX, with 3,969; the metro closest in population, Dallas, TX at 8,344,032 residents, has 3,969 law offices and 3,263 accounting, tax, bookkeeping and payroll establishments.

Counted by accounting, tax, bookkeeping and payroll firms instead, Houston's nearest match is Atlanta, GA, with 3,125.

• Residents, July 2024: 7,796,182
• Residents, April 2020 base: 7,150,233
• Change since 2020: +645,949 (9.0 percent), 6th of 59
• Law offices per 100,000 residents: 50.9, 34th of 59
• Accounting, tax, bookkeeping and payroll per 100,000 residents: 37.6, 41st of 59
• Securities and investment per 100,000 residents: 31.2, 46th of 59
• Managing offices per 100,000 residents: 13.1, 38th of 59
• Real estate agents and brokers per 100,000 residents: 34.0, 51st of 59
• Employees in offices of lawyers: about 27,000
• Employees in accounting, tax, bookkeeping and payroll: about 31,000

The courts and regulators behind Houston paperwork

When a Houston dispute reaches federal court, it goes to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

CPAs practicing in Texas are licensed by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy.

At state level, securities offerings and investment advisers in Texas answer to the Texas State Securities Board, so a Houston fund raising money or an adviser facing an exam has documents to produce on request.

If personal information in a Houston deal, audit or case file is exposed, Texas's data breach notification law sets who has to be told and when.