Brewster County, Texas Demographics 2026

Demographic data: ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. Sources and methodology

Brewster County, Texas has a population of 9,503, the 169th most populous county in Texas. The median household income is $56,212 and the median home value is $227,000. The poverty rate is 8.9%.

Brewster County Quick Facts

Population 9,503

Median Household Income $56,21290% MOE ±$9,462

Median Home Value $227,00090% MOE ±$14,339

Poverty Rate 8.9%90% MOE ±2.6 pts

Unemployment Rate 3.0%90% MOE ±2.3 pts

Median Age 40.9 years90% MOE ±3.9 years

Homeownership Rate 62.5%90% MOE ±5.3 pts

Affordability Ratio 4.0x

Bachelor's Degree+ 45.5%90% MOE ±6.3 pts

Adults 25+ with high school education or higher 89.2%

Cities/Places 4

Population 9,503 169th of 254

Median Income $56,212 28% lower than state

Poverty Rate 8.9%

Unemployment 3.0%

How Brewster County Changed

Change from the non-overlapping 2015–2019 ACS period to 2020–2024. Earlier dollar figures are adjusted to 2024 dollars; changes marked “no clear change” are within the combined 90% margins of error.

Metric	2015–2019	2020–2024	Change
Population	9,231	9,503	+2.9%
Median household income	$57,942	$56,212	No clear change (-3.0%)
Median home value¹	$186,329	$227,000	+21.8%
Median gross rent	$865	$839	No clear change (-3.0%)

¹ The Census Bureau changed its home-value inflation adjustment beginning with the 2022 ACS; interpret that comparison with additional caution.

Median Household Income

Brewster

$56,212

$78,476

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Brewster

$227,000

$283,800

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 18.8%

$25K-$50K 25.9%

$50K-$100K 26.6%

$100K+ 28.7%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

2.5%

$10K-$15K

6.3%

$15K-$20K

3.6%

$20K-$25K

6.4%

$25K-$30K

3.6%

$30K-$35K

3.9%

$35K-$40K

4.9%

$40K-$45K

3.2%

$45K-$50K

10.3%

$50K-$60K

8.0%

$60K-$75K

7.3%

$75K-$100K

11.3%

$100K-$125K

15.0%

$125K-$150K

7.0%

$150K-$200K

3.4%

$200K+

3.4%

Employment

3.0% Unemployment Rate State: 5.3%|National: 5.2%

60.1% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 62.5%

Renter 37.5%

Affordability Index Moderate

4.0x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $839/mo 17.9% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

16.7%

18-34

26.3%

35-54

20.5%

55-74

27.1%

75+

9.5%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

High Diversity

A diverse community with significant representation from multiple racial and ethnic groups.

State average: 67 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Brewster County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Alpine	6,014	$60,139	8.6%	$219,800
Marathon	283	$45,635	17.7%	$240,000
Terlingua	178	$46,094	1.7%	$109,700
Study Butte	114	N/A	1.8%	N/A

Explore Texas Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Brewster County is located in Texas with a total population of 9,503. It is the 169th most populous county out of 254 in Texas. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Brewster County is 40.9 years. This is 15% higher than the state median of 35.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Brewster County is $56,212. This is 28% lower than the state median of $78,476. It is also 30% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 8.9%. This is 35% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 3.0%. This is 42% lower than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $227,000. Housing costs are 20% lower than the state median of $283,800. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.0x. 62.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Brewster County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 51.3% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 42.1%. The Black or African American population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 11.9%. The Asian population (1.9%) is well below the state average of 5.5%.

Education

45.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Brewster County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 34% higher than the state rate of 33.8%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 89.2%. Notably, 17.2% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Brewster County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Texas and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Brewster County, Texas?

Brewster County has a population of 9,503, making it the 169th most populous county in Texas.

What is the median income in Brewster County?

The median household income in Brewster County is $56,212 with a poverty rate of 8.9%.

How many cities are in Brewster County, Texas?

Brewster County contains 4 Census-designated places.