Cottle County, Texas Demographics 2026

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

Cottle County, Texas has a population of 1,368, the 240th most populous county in Texas. The median household income is $59,063 and the median home value is $59,300. The poverty rate is 17.1%.

Cottle County Quick Facts

Population 1,36890% MOE ±210

Median Household Income $59,06390% MOE ±$28,606

Median Home Value $59,30090% MOE ±$24,701

Poverty Rate 17.1%90% MOE ±6.8 pts

Unemployment Rate 12.6%90% MOE ±10.2 pts

Median Age 46.4 years90% MOE ±8.9 years

Homeownership Rate 83.2%90% MOE ±7.2 pts

Affordability Ratio 1.0x

Bachelor's Degree+ 21.1%90% MOE ±6.7 pts

Adults 25+ with high school education or higher 80.5%

Cities/Places 1

Population 1,368 240th of 254

Median Income $59,063 25% lower than state

Poverty Rate 17.1%

Unemployment 12.6%

How Cottle 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	1,642	1,368	No clear change (-16.7%)
Median household income	$39,758	$59,063	No clear change (+48.6%)
Median home value¹	$57,351	$59,300	No clear change (+3.4%)
Median gross rent	$418	$264	No clear change (-36.9%)

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

Median Household Income

Cottle

$59,063

$78,476

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Cottle

$59,300

$283,800

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 32.4%

$25K-$50K 15.3%

$50K-$100K 32.1%

$100K+ 20.3%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

15.3%

$10K-$15K

3.5%

$15K-$20K

11.6%

$20K-$25K

2.1%

$25K-$30K

3.8%

$30K-$35K

2.4%

$35K-$40K

6.2%

$40K-$45K

0.0%

$45K-$50K

2.8%

$50K-$60K

2.6%

$60K-$75K

14.0%

$75K-$100K

15.4%

$100K-$125K

3.8%

$125K-$150K

3.1%

$150K-$200K

5.7%

$200K+

7.6%

Employment

12.6% Unemployment Rate State: 5.3%|National: 5.2%

57.9% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 83.2%

Renter 16.8%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

1.0x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $264/mo 5.4% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

18.3%

18-34

17.8%

35-54

22.7%

55-74

34.3%

75+

6.9%

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 Cottle County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Paducah	1,077	$36,875	21.7%	$49,000

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

Cottle County is located in Texas with a total population of 1,368. It is the 240th most populous county out of 254 in Texas. The county encompasses 1 Census-designated place.

Age Demographics

The median age in Cottle County is 46.4 years. This is 30% higher than the state median of 35.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Cottle County is $59,063. This is 25% lower than the state median of $78,476. It is also 27% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 17.1%. This is 24% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 12.6%. This is 139% higher than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $59,300. Housing costs are 79% lower than the state median of $283,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.0x, Cottle County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 83.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 33% higher than the state average of 62.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Cottle County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 46.7% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 42.0%. The Black or African American population (2.3%) is well below the state average of 11.9%.

Education

21.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 38% 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 80.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Cottle 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 Cottle County, Texas?

Cottle County has a population of 1,368, making it the 240th most populous county in Texas.

What is the median income in Cottle County?

The median household income in Cottle County is $59,063 with a poverty rate of 17.1%.

How many cities are in Cottle County, Texas?

Cottle County contains 1 Census-designated place.