Houston Zoo Inc: $82.5M Revenue, $62.8M Expenses

Houston Zoo Inc earns a C on the efficiency rubric — the median bucket on the NonprofitTruth scale, indicating performance close to the national midpoint across financial reserves, officer compensation, and revenue consistency. Composite score: 54/100.

At $82.5M in 2023 revenue, Houston Zoo Inc sits in the mid-range of the U.S. nonprofit distribution. Most organizations of this scale operate regionally or focus on a single program area. Reserves are the limiting factor: Houston Zoo Inc carries relatively few months of operating expenses on its balance sheet, which can leave an organization exposed if a major funding source pauses.

Five-year revenue has grown modestly. Houston Zoo Inc is not expanding rapidly but is not shrinking either; the trajectory is consistent with stable donor and grant relationships. Officer compensation is modest relative to organizational size: Houston Zoo Inc reports $1.6M in total compensation for current officers and key employees (Form 990 Part IX, line 5) against $82.5M in revenue. The ratio is well within the bands third-party charity raters consider reasonable at this scale. Houston Zoo Inc works in Environment & Animals — environmental, conservation, animal-welfare, and natural-resources programs. The sector spans large international conservation groups and small local land trusts; the financial profile varies accordingly.