Population: 2,242,193
Murders: 294
Founded: August 30, 1886
Year oil discovered: 1901
Seasons Nolan Ryan played with the Astros: 8
Land area: 601.7 square miles
Coldest temperature ever recorded: 5 degrees on January 23, 1940
Peak population: 2008, 2009, or 2010
Height of tallest building: 75 floors
Increase in murder rate in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: 70 percent
Housing costs: 26 percent below the national average
Going rate for driving escorts to their gigs: $370 per day
Age when you're too old to be sworn into the Houston Police Department: 45
Base Salary of a Probationary Police Officer: $ 29,164
Additional yearly pay for those who hold a doctorate: $8,840
Average overtime per year: $9,315 - $12,936
Net worth of richest man in Houston: $7.8 billion at last report
