Cooke County, Texas Demographics 2026

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

Cooke County, Texas has a population of 43,046, the 78th most populous county in Texas. The median household income is $73,932 and the median home value is $240,400. The poverty rate is 13.5%.

Cooke County Quick Facts

Population 43,046

Median Household Income $73,93290% MOE ±$4,874

Median Home Value $240,40090% MOE ±$9,265

Poverty Rate 13.5%90% MOE ±2.1 pts

Unemployment Rate 4.5%90% MOE ±1.4 pts

Median Age 40.5 years90% MOE ±0.5 years

Homeownership Rate 71.8%90% MOE ±2.6 pts

Affordability Ratio 3.3x

Bachelor's Degree+ 23.6%90% MOE ±2.3 pts

Adults 25+ with high school education or higher 88.5%

Cities/Places 9

Population 43,046 78th of 254

Median Income $73,932 6% lower than state

Poverty Rate 13.5%

Unemployment 4.5%

How Cooke 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	40,041	43,046	+7.5%
Median household income	$74,091	$73,932	No clear change (-0.2%)
Median home value¹	$198,267	$240,400	+21.3%
Median gross rent	$1,092	$1,047	No clear change (-4.1%)

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

Median Household Income

Cooke

$73,932

$78,476

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Cooke

$240,400

$283,800

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 13.5%

$25K-$50K 18.6%

$50K-$100K 32.0%

$100K+ 36.0%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

3.6%

$10K-$15K

3.7%

$15K-$20K

3.1%

$20K-$25K

3.1%

$25K-$30K

3.9%

$30K-$35K

3.2%

$35K-$40K

4.1%

$40K-$45K

3.8%

$45K-$50K

3.7%

$50K-$60K

9.6%

$60K-$75K

9.0%

$75K-$100K

13.4%

$100K-$125K

8.4%

$125K-$150K

7.3%

$150K-$200K

9.8%

$200K+

10.4%

Employment

4.5% Unemployment Rate State: 5.3%|National: 5.2%

63.5% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 71.8%

Renter 28.2%

Affordability Index Affordable

3.3x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,047/mo 17.0% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

23.2%

18-34

20.7%

35-54

23.3%

55-74

25.2%

75+

7.7%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 67 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Cooke County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Gainesville	17,883	$58,809	19.1%	$177,000
Lake Kiowa	2,476	$125,956	2.1%	$526,900
Muenster	1,329	$88,333	10.2%	$270,700
Lindsay (Cooke County)	1,142	$115,417	2.8%	$352,300
Road Runner	1,021	$43,224	37.3%	N/A
Valley View	702	$67,303	13.0%	$250,500
Callisburg	459	$46,023	23.5%	$181,300
Oak Ridge (Cooke County)	353	$50,104	26.9%	N/A
Myra	263	$85,052	0.0%	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

Cooke County is located in Texas with a total population of 43,046. It is the 78th most populous county out of 254 in Texas. The county encompasses 9 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Cooke County is 40.5 years. This is 14% higher than the state median of 35.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Cooke County is $73,932. This is 6% lower than the state median of $78,476. It is also 8% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.5%. This is 2% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 4.5%. This is 15% lower than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $240,400. Housing costs are 15% lower than the state median of $283,800. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.3x. 71.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 15% higher than the state average of 62.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Cooke County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 71.3% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 20.9%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (71.3% vs 39.1%). The Black or African American population (3.2%) is well below the state average of 11.9%. The Asian population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 5.5%.

Education

23.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 30% lower 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 88.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Cooke 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 Cooke County, Texas?

Cooke County has a population of 43,046, making it the 78th most populous county in Texas.

What is the median income in Cooke County?

The median household income in Cooke County is $73,932 with a poverty rate of 13.5%.

How many cities are in Cooke County, Texas?

Cooke County contains 9 Census-designated places.