Houston industrial in numbers
- ~680 million sqft across the metro — #4 US industrial market
- ~3,000 industrial tenancies spread across seven distinct submarkets
- ~6% overall vacancy, tightening to <3% on Northwest Class A big-box
- Average new-build size: 400,000–800,000 sqft Class A in Northwest, 5–50 acre sites along Ship Channel
- Industry mix: petrochemical/refining (~35%), port + 3PL (~25%), general distribution (~30%), aerospace + specialty (~10%)
Houston industrial is more industry-specific than any other top-5 US market. The tenant mix in Pasadena has nothing to do with the tenant mix in Cypress — plan prospecting around submarket identity, not metro-wide lists.
The Houston industrial submarkets
Ship Channel / Southeast (Pasadena, Deer Park, Channelview, La Porte, Baytown)
Petrochemical refining, port logistics, chemical export. Tenants: ExxonMobil Baytown, Shell Deer Park, Valero Houston, LyondellBasell Channelview, INEOS Chocolate Bayou, Westlake. Plus 3PLs and liquid storage (Vopak, Oiltanking, Watco, Buckeye). Long-term ground leases dominate — turnover low but when it happens, deals are measured in decades not years.
Northwest (Beltway 8 NW, Cypress, Katy, Hempstead)
Classic Houston big-box. 200,000–800,000 sqft Class A single-tenant. Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Target, FedEx, UPS, plus regional 3PLs (NFI, DHL Supply Chain, CEVA). Park 290 West, Prologis Park, Cypress Park 290, Katy Grand Crossing. Growing rapidly — most of Houston's 2024–26 speculative product is here.
North (Hardy Toll Rd, FM 1960, Spring, Tomball, Willis)
Mid-market — 100,000–500,000 sqft more typical. Tenants serve north Houston suburbs + overflow for Northwest. Secondary to Northwest in rent and Class A density but useful for tenants avoiding Northwest vacancy tightening.
Bush Intercontinental Airport area (IAH, Humble, Kingwood)
Air freight, freight forwarders (DHL Global, Expeditors, DB Schenker), courier hubs (FedEx Freight, UPS Supply Chain). 50–200k sqft typical, high multi-tenant density.
Southwest (Missouri City, Stafford, Sugar Land, Rosenberg)
Medical device, specialty light manufacturing, mid-market distribution. Smaller average unit (50–250k sqft). Less Class A new-build.
Downtown / Inner Loop (East End, Near Northside, Independence Heights)
Infill last-mile + legacy industrial. Smaller-format, urban logistics, tech-adjacent. Cluster of food manufacturing and e-commerce fulfillment.
Port of Houston / Barbours Cut / Bayport
Container port adjacency. Primary 3PL drayage, container freight, customs brokers. 10-mile radius around Barbours Cut covers the bulk.
Why Houston tenants cluster by submarket
Operational logic is extreme here — more than any other US top-5 market:
- Ship Channel operators need deepwater, rail, pipeline adjacency. No substitute in Northwest or North.
- Northwest operators need I-10 westbound access to Texas / Oklahoma / West markets. Pasadena doesn't fit that route.
- Airport operators need IAH proximity. Can't move to Cypress without losing same-day air.
- Port operators need Barbours Cut / Bayport proximity. Inland submarkets don't work.
That's why neighbour prospecting is particularly effective in Houston: an operator's next move is almost always within 3 miles because the alternative isn't operationally viable.
What a scan returns
Drop a Houston industrial address. Within two minutes:
- 30–60 neighbouring operators across the radius (up to 90 in Ship Channel scans because operators cluster very tightly)
- 3–8 same-building matches — highest in Northwest multi-tenant Class B, lowest in Ship Channel single-tenant
- Industry tags — petrochemical, port, big-box distribution, freight forwarding, aerospace, specialty manufacturing — surfaced distinctly
- Decision-makers at VP Operations, Plant Manager, Regional Director, Director of Supply Chain level — reflecting the regional-branch leasing reality of Houston
- Ship Channel operators appear first in Southeast radius scans; Northwest Class A tenants first in Cypress radius
How a scan runs
- Drop the listing address (e.g. 2500 Battleground Rd, Deer Park; or 22820 I-10, Katy)
- Pick 650 ft for dense multi-tenant, 1,200 ft for big-box Class A single-tenant
- Wait two minutes
- Review 30–60 operators, industry-tagged, decision-makers verified
- Draft outreach in-app, reveal contacts 1 credit each
Pricing (USD)
| Plan | Credits / month | Ideal for |
|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | 50 credits (one-time) | First scan |
| Starter — $79/mo | 200 credits | Brokers listing 3–5 industrial properties per month |
| Pro — $149/mo | 425 credits | Brokers listing 6–10 properties per month |
One credit per contact reveal.